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Rabat – The UN confirmed that Algeria’s regime violated the international law and ceasefire agreement in Western Sahara.
Deputy Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General, Farhan Haq , confirmed today that three Algerian truck drivers died in Bir Lahlou, a restricted area in Western Sahara.
Prior to the UN statement, Algeria’s president claimed that the three Algerian nationals were killed in Mauritanian territory, a narrative that was immediately debunked by the Mauritanian army.
The Algerian presidency also accused Morocco of attacking the Algerian drivers with drone strikes. It has yet to provide any conclusive evidence to support its claims.
In response to the claims, the UN deputy spokesperson confirmed that the site of the incident was Bir Lahlou.
The UN official also said that MINURSO was able to send an initial patrol to the site of the alleged incident the following day, 3 November.
“We can now confirm that the site is in the eastern part of Western Sahara near Bir Lahlou. The Mission observed two trucks with Algerian license plates parked parallel to each other,” the spokesperson said.
Farhan added that both trucks had suffered extensive damage and charring.
The UN spokesperson said MINURSO’s investigation is still ongoing to determine why the Algerian truckers were in the buffer zone.
“I have no explanation for why the trucks are where they are. This is a matter that’s being looked into, but I’ve just reported to you what the initial results are…”
The statement is putting Algeria against the wall.
For years, Algeria has been denying it’s responsibility in the conflict, claiming itself as an observer and not as a main party to the conflict.
While denying its obvious involvement in the creation and perpetuation of the conflict, Algeria continues to finance, arm, train and back Polisario and its claims for independence for Western Sahara. To cap it, it turns out now that it has allowed its citizens to enter a territory that is governed by the 1991 ceasefire agreement and Military Agreement N1 and where movement of people is restricted.
By allowing Algerian civilians to cross their country’s borders and slip inside the Sahara zone located to the east of the Moroccan defense wall, Algeria has incurred in a violation of its international commitments as far as the buffer zone is concerned. Algerian truckers had nothing to do in this area.
The presence of Algerians truckers in the zone begs many questions. Why Algeria allowed them to enter the territory knowing that this was a restricted area, which had been the scene of mounting tension between the Polisario and Morocco?
Why did Algeria omit this detail in its statements, choosing, instead, to allege that the alleged attack happened on an international transportation route between Mauritanian and Algeria?
Why has there been a discrepancy between Algeria and Polisario’s accounts with the latter claiming that the incident took place in Bentili inside Mauritanian territory? How can Algeria explain that the trucks were still standing if they were attacked by a missile or sophisticated weaponry?
These are questions that many Morocco-Algeria watchers are asking to which MINURSO’s report will provide answers that may prove embarrassing and damaging for Algeria.
