CORCAS a vital player in the western sahara conflict

                             CORCAS   : A VITAL PLAYER IN THE WESTERN                
                                                     SAHARA CONFLICT

BY : Moulay Ahmed Maouelainin

The coming weeks would be decisive as to the future of Western Sahara, the Moroccan diplomacy is expected to perform with conviction, professionalism, and close coordination with different “players» in the process of achieving a final settlement.
In this particular context, CORCAS (royal advisory council for Saharan affairs) is in a position to play a vital role in terms of directly dealing with all sahraouis whether they are in the territory or in the refugee camps in Tindouf, inside Algeria or anywhere else around the world.

CORCAS is composed of 140 members, including 14 women, appointed by the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, who represent an ethnic, political, and tribal cross-section of Moroccan society, including the father of Polisario leader Mohamed abdelaziz.

In his founding speech, which took place in Laayoune on the25th of march 2006, the King said “I have decided to give fresh momentum to this organ, in its new composition, entrust it with a new mandate and endow it with an enhanced status, so that it may together with public authorities, and elected institutions, defend the Moroccan ness of the Sahara, and express the legitimate aspiration of my beloved subjects”
CORCAS primary task is to seek input from all parties affected by the 30 year old political stalemate to reach the most effective path towards autonomy for the Western Sahara within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty
CORCAS is an institution that contributed substantially in the elaboration of the Moroccan autonomy proposal, deals with the economic, social, and cultural development in the territory. And defend the Maroccanity of the Sahara at the local, national, regional, and international levels. One of the main tasks of the CORCAS is to convince all sahraoui populations to massively adhere to the autonomy project put forward by Morocco to the UN, and hopefully would be the basis of any future direct dialogue between parties concerned.
After less than two years of its creation, CORCAS becomes an important player in the Western Sahara conflict. The international media, NGO’s, elected institutions all over the world are so interested in the council. This interest felt nationally, regionally, and internationally shows the importance of such an institution, and its direct impact within sahraoui populations, and international community, to the point that when CORCAS sneezes the Polisario catch cold
The composition of the CORCAS reflects a tribal equilibrium, local elected members, representatives of civil society, and others. The CORCAS strategic policy in terms of the western Sahara conflict, is basically to avoid any mediatic confrontation with Algiers .IT is always mentioned as “a friendly country” or as “the sister country” in the CORCAS political speech, it sees its role mainly within the framework of sahraouis, and opts to deal directly with sahraouis, where ever they are; and particularly those who have been refugees in the Tindouf camps for the last three decades. The systematic refusal of the leadership of the Polisario to engage in an informal dialogue with the CORCAS is seen by Chairman Khali Hanna Ould Er-Rachid as “conjonctural”, he insists that the Polisario does not represent all sahraouis, and that the majority of sahraouis living under Moroccan sovereignty fully and unconditionally support the autonomy project. In fact, he is determined to spare no efforts with other members of the council to convince Polisario of the utility of autonomy.

In this respect CORCAS chairman called on Algeria in so many occasions to help ease dialogue with sahraouis in its territory ,he even asked the Algerians not to set obstacles to the UN organization ,and to encourage “our brothers living in its territory to engage in dialogue with us so as to come out the impasse»

the secretary general of the royal advisory council for Saharan affairs doctor Maouelainin Ben Khalihanna Maouelainin in an interview with “ TEL QUEL “ weekly magazine on April 15th,2006   said “parents of all polisario officials pledged allegiance to Moroccan King’s, only a cursed son would break this allegiance” he added “ our mission is to hold talks with all the inhabitants of the southern zone, wherever they are, in order to allow them to come back to homeland”

CORCAS is empowered to communicate with the inhabitants of the Sahara, and with the Polisario in Tindouf camps or elsewhere. The emphasis of the strategic policy of the CORCAS relies on the willingness of its members to start of the ground an informal dialogue with the Polisario, among others, those who have expressed openly their rejection to their leader strategy towards the Western Sahara issue. The tribe and family links between sahraouis from both sides is a vital clue to open up channels of communication and dialogue. CORCAS is seriously engaged in making a positive impact on the camp of the “independentists”, many are convinced of the seriousness of the Moroccan Substantial Autonomy Proposal, and others are in the process of considering the project.

Today Polisario is loosing momentum; it does not appear that it has much chance of winning the present diplomatic battle, following the failure of its own proposal, and the content of the security council that calls upon for a direct negotiations with a view to reaching a political and final settlement to the dispute over western Sahara.  All the signs indicate that it will weaken, if the status quo remains. The military and political leadership of the Polisario is well aware of the fact the Moroccan Substantial Autonomy proposal is an advanced form of self-determination.

Establishing a form of meaningful informal open dialogue between these two institutions (CORCAS,and POLISARIO) representing sahraouis, could turn to be a golden opportunity to start of the ground an overall formal dialogue between parties concerned, aiming at reaching a final and just political settlement.