فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In a decisive response to the statements of Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, declared that Algeria needs to “change its glasses” to better perceive the reality of the Moroccan Sahara.
In a letter addressed to the President and members of the Security Council, Omar Hilale reminded that the Moroccan Sahara currently hosts 29 foreign consulates, with a 30th in preparation, underlining the growing international support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces.
The Moroccan diplomat refuted Algerian allegations regarding economic development in the Sahara, stating: “Algeria ignores what the Moroccan Sahara truly represents. This region houses major infrastructure projects, including the longest road bridge in Africa and the largest port on the continent. Over 4,000 trucks cross the Moroccan Sahara daily. Not to mention the opening of universities, schools, and foreign investments in renewable energies. The truth is that one cannot hide the sun.”
Hilale also exercised his right of reply following the intervention of Algeria’s representative to the UN, Amar Benjama, who came to defend his Foreign Minister. The Kingdom’s ambassador delivered a firm response to the provocative, misleading, and erroneous statements made by the eastern neighbor’s chief diplomat regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue.
The Moroccan ambassador pointed out that while it’s impossible to choose one’s neighbors, it’s equally crucial not to remain silent in the face of false allegations.
Hilale indicated that Algeria remains “stuck in the Cold War era” while the Moroccan Sahara has been fully integrated into the Kingdom of Morocco for over 50 years. He added that this country seems to have forgotten the United Nations resolution that ended Spanish colonization several decades ago, leading to the return of the Sahara to its motherland.
He also reminded that the subsequent Madrid Agreement was perfectly in line with the speech given by the late Algerian President Houari Boumediene during an Arab summit in Rabat. “On that occasion, Boumediene stated that he would support any solution that would end the colonization of the Moroccan Sahara,” Hilale recalled.
Responding to Attaf’s claims that Algeria supports the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, and his efforts to resolve the Sahara issue, Hilale exclaimed: “What a deception!” He pointed out that the UN envoy was appointed three years ago, but no meetings have taken place since then, neither in New York nor elsewhere, simply because Algeria refuses to return to the negotiating table and rejects any political process.
The Moroccan ambassador thus denounced Algeria’s hypocrisy, which claims to support a political process while actively sabotaging it.
