an open letter to the Algerian Ambassador In Washington

                     AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ALGERIAN
                   AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON                                        

BY: TAOUFIQ GAZOULIT

A letter to the editor of the American daily newspaper “The Washington Times” was sent by the Algerian counsellor at the Algerian embassy in Washington, concerning an article published by “the Washington times, about “improving prospects in western Sahara», and obviously the direct involvement of Algiers in the conflict.

Mr Ameur Betka, who was more likely instructed by his boss the ambassador to answer back the American newspaper, insisted wrongly on the fact that his country sees the conflict as “a matter of decolonization opposing the people of Western Sahara to the kingdom of Morocco”
The Algerian diplomat should have, in his letter, explained to what extent his country is responsible for the present deadlock, which in the view of the international community, is a result to the Algerian non commitment to its explicit statement, which says that it does not consider itself as part of the dispute, facts on the ground shows unfortunately that Algeria, since mid-seventies was keen to hamper, systematically the completion of Morocco’s territorial integrity. Algeria’s involvement in the Sahara issue has taken various forms: military engagement against Morocco, financial and logistic support to the polisario front, mobilization of its diplomatic services against the territorial integrity of Morocco, in addition to hosting the Polisario on its terriotory.Algeria sponsored in 1976 the creation of an alleged republic, and opted for an all-out campaign to make world countries  recognize this fictitious entity, that does not have any of the characteristics of a sovereign state .

It is worth reminding the Algerians that when the Algerian question was being examined by the UN general assembly in 1961.Morocco was one of the first to defend Algeria’s territorial integrity. It was this same principle of territorial integrity which Morocco evoked to regain the Sahara by basing itself not only on history, and law but also on the wishes of the population. Morocco had always possessed Western Sahara in the same way as its northern provinces.                                             

It is obvious that Morocco seeks a final settlement to this dispute, which is in a way a result of the cold war and the inter- Arab differences, this conflict did not help to effectively build the Maghreb Union. The dispute over Western Sahara did not help either the promotion of democracy in the region nor making use of natural resources for the people of the region.   
The aim behind the Moroccan proposal is that Sahraouis claims will be satisfied, and Morocco remains sovereign over its southern territories.

  When it comes to the UN, The secretary general personal envoy for Sahara Van Walsum stated (in his press conference at the headquarter of the UN, after presenting his report to the 
UN chief) that the Moroccan proposal to grant substantial autonomy to the western Sahara  “was the result of an extended political process of national and international consultations” whereas the polisario proposal, the UN envoy added “it is consistent with polisario well known positions” .As far as the role of Algeria in the conflict Mr Walsum recognized the pre-eminent role of Algeria, “Algeria has in this whole dossier (Sahara issue) played an absolutely pre-eminent ,dominant role ever since1975”  this is the third time that a senior UN official dealing directly with the western Sahara issue that recognized in a diplomatic Worthing to what extent the Algerians are directly involved in the western Sahara dispute ,and even in the decision making on behalf  of the separatist movement called polisario while Algiers keeps insisting that “it is not a part in the conflict”.
   
The Security Council had consistently made it clear that it would not impose a solution to the question of Western Sahara, which had led him to the conclusion that there were only two options: either indefinite prolongation of the impasse or negotiations without preconditions between the parties aimed at achieving a mutually acceptable political solution
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  It is obvious that the Moroccan opinion public, and  the international community are “fed up” with the Algerian double standard policy towards the Western Sahara issue…sometimes it presents itself as a concerned party, other times as an important actor, or as a party in the settlement of the dispute. If Algeria is willing  (as it claims ) to help sahraoui refugees in its own territory in Tindouf, then it has to lift the military and security blockade imposed around the camps, it would then find out that Sahraoui refugees will automatically exert the self –determination by walking from the camps and returning to their homeland in Morocco.

I would like to remind the Algerian diplomat ,and his boss the ambassador that not only the security council called for direct negotiations, but took note of the Moroccan proposal presented by Morocco to the UN  general secretary “ welcome credible and serious Moroccan  efforts to move the process forward towards resolution” this is in my view an implicit recognition that the Moroccan proposal is the only and unique one to be taken into consideration as  a basis for any direct negotiations ,whereas the Polisario proposal did not bring any new elements nor practical alternative to the present deadlock

  Algeria should abandon its old dreams, and stop its non- stop allegations which are in so any respects unconvincing, in order to pave the way, and help to create a healthy atmosphere towards a settlement to the Western Sahara.  Having said that i know as much as the international community does that Algeria and the polisario would continue to create obstacles to the peace process advocated by the UN Security Council, although the polisario agreed to enter direct negotiations with Morocco, and Algeria welcomed the Security Council resolution

The Moroccan position is unequivocal; the Western Sahara is an integral part of the Kingdom of Morocco, whether Algeria and polisario come to term with the UN Security Council resolution or not.