SPS SADR/ALGERIA/MOROCCO/MEDIAS
Algeria refused to attend a
quadripartite summit on Western Sahara, because it is not directly
involved by the conflict
09.11.04
London, 09/11/2004 (SPS) Algeria
refused to attend a quadripartite summit on Western Sahara, "because
Algeria is not directly concerned by the conflict", affirmed the
Minister of State, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdelaziz Belkhadem.
Algeria refused to attend the quadripartite summit on Western
Sahara because "it's not directly concerned by the conflict," declared
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdelaziz Belkhadem.
"Algeria has received an invitation to attend a quadripartite summit on
Western Sahara, initiated by countries with which it has excellent
relations. But, Algeria informed these countries that the only and
legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, Polisario Front, is
the main party directly concerned by the participation to such a
summit, and that Algeria is not concerned by this kind of summit,"
Belkhadem underlined.
In an interview to the weekly "El Haouadith," published in its
latest issue, the Head of the Algerian diplomacy indicated that "the
Algerian-Moroccan relations were developing positively if it was
not the Moroccan unsteadiness and attempts to include the question of
Western Sahara in the bilateral dossiers."
"Praiseworthy and encouraging initiatives have been made through
contacts and exchanges of visits between officials from the two
countries to re-activate the bilateral cooperation on better bases, and
that after examining all the pending questions," Belkhadem pointed out.
Mr. Belkhadem reiterated Algeria's position for a solution within the
framework of the international legality, estimating that "the
Algerian-Moroccan relations must be considered in the framework of the
ties linking the two neighbouring countries, links that are based
on religious, historical and socio-cultural community".
For the Algerian diplomat, Morocco is responsible for the hindrances to
the positive progress of bilateral relations, through persisting to
consider the question of Western Sahara as an Algerian-Moroccan
conflict. "Algeria, which is only an observer that helps find a
solution within the framework of the international legality and
conforming to the principle of the right of the Saharawi people to
self-determination, believes that this conflict does only oppose
Morocco to Polisario Front", he concluded. (SPS)
SPS SADR/MOROCCO/BASSRI
Ms. Basri defend the
implementation of the Peace Plan of De Cuellar on Western Sahara
Algiers, 09/11/2004 (SPS)
Former Moroccan Minister of Interior, Driss Bassri, has called
Monday to resume to the UN Peace Plan of 1991 which “is still valid".
He considered that this plan is the only way that would allow the
definitive settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara on the basis of
the international legality and law.
Mr. Basri, who was the guest to the programme "the guest of the day" in
the III Algerian National Radio, talked about the 1991 Peace Plan,
which detailed the stages, conditions, ways and means to organise a
referendum on self-determination under the aegis of the United
Nations.
To Mr. Basri, this UN peace plan “is still valid". He recalled that
"the technical and political hindrances from both sides that were
erected in front of the implementation of this plan" were overcome by
Mr. James Baker through the Houston Accords, which were signed in 1997
by both parties to the conflict, Polisario Front and Morocco.
"What is the point of the period of autonomy in this plan?” wondered
Mr. Basri, referring to the last Baker Plan, "the Peace Plan for the
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara".
"Mr. Baker held with Moroccan and Polisario Front's officials meetings,
in Lisbon as well as in London or Houston, to detail the norms
mentioned in the peace plan of 1991. The problems faced in the
practical implementation of this plan were studied and amended
altogether by Moroccan Government and UN representatives as well as the
representatives of the movement of liberation Polisario Front", he
added.
The former Minister for Interior, who still defend the holding of a
referendum on self-determination of the Saharawi people, had also
indicated that "the entire problem turned around the question of
identification of the Saharawis", in the preparing stage to the
referendum.
"It was necessary to reach the organisation of a referendum on
self-determination in Western Sahara, in accordance with the decisions
of the UN and to the African Union Organisation as it was accepted and
agreed on by the late Hassan II", recalled Mr. Basri. Further "it was
necessary to hold a clear, loyal and transparent referendum, far from
any military or administrative or coercive pressures", he emphasised.
Recalling that "the idea of the referendum was accepted by all the
parties, and for which holding the entire world was working", Mr.
Bassri noted that "the problems put to discussion were the mechanisms
and techniques of this referendum as well as the explanation of some
concepts".
In this respect, he asserted that "King Hassan II, other Moroccan
officials and I had worked for the organisation of the referendum",
before he talked about what he called the "deviation" that affected the
process, to name "a period of autonomy that proceeds the holding of the
referendum". (SPS)
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE