Rabat – Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani reiterated on Monday that Moroccan diplomacy has reaped benefits in the Western Sahara question, owing to the mobilization of the country’s institutions to defend Morocco’s territorial integrity.
In a meeting at the House of Representatives on Monday, El Othmani renewed his call to the cabinet to mobilize against the Polisario Front, which has defied the United Nations and violated the ceasefire agreement through illegal actions supported by Algeria.
Government mobilized against adversaries
El Othmani said that his cabinet has made Morocco’s territorial integrity a priority to defend the national cause.
The head of government added that today’s meeting at the parliament is “another message to adversaries, emphasizing that the sovereignty of Morocco is not negotiable.”
El Othmani also denounced the recent provocative action of the Polisario Front in Tifariti, east of Morocco’s defense wall. On May 20, the separatist group conducted a military parade to celebrate the “anniversary” of their “armed struggle.”
The UN condemned the action, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging the front to refrain from violating the ceasefire agreement and Security Council resolutions.
El Othmani added that the Polisario Front “has no legitimacy” to represent the Sahrawi population in the Tindouf camps, Algeria.
The Western Sahara issue, according to El Othmani, experienced “important developments,” which reinforced Morocco’s position in the conflict. El Othmani further explained that the achievement could not have been reached without the contribution of all Moroccan institutions, including Parliament, political parties, trade unions, the press, intellectuals, and civil society.
Sovereignty over Western Sahara non-negotiable
El Othmani added that King Mohammed VI’s instructions and speeches, delivered on Throne Day July 30, 2017, and on the 42nd anniversary of the Green March in November 2017, served as a basic reference for the government’s efforts on the issue.
El Othmani also recalled the report Guterres submitted to the Security Council on March 29. He said it was balanced, “taking into account the urgent and serious developments” of Polisario’s actions in the region.
The Security Council adopted Resolution 2414 in accordance with the report.
The head of government echoed King Mohammed VI’s statement on the 42nd anniversary of the Green March, emphasizing that “there will be no solution to the conflict outside the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara.”
El Othmani concluded his statement by informing his government of a conference scheduled to take place in Marrakech from June 20-23, convening NGOs and officials to discuss means to defend the territorial integrity of the kingdom.
