Rabat – European Parliament member Tomas Zdechovsky called on the European legislative body to counter the threat posed by separatist armed militias, including Polisario.
While addressing the general assembly yesterday, Zdechovsky said that the European Union “should” mobilize to counter the terrorist threats from the militia’s activities in proximity to the European bloc.
“The European Union should be made aware of the threat certain militias adopting terrorist ideologies represent.” He added that “These militias are putting in peril values of peace, and tolerance,” highlighting Morocco’s case in particular during a conference on European counter-terrorism efforts.
Underscoring his support for Morocco, Zdechovsky pointed out that “Morocco enjoys his full support,” adding that the country is currently “facing the threat from the Tindouf camps located on Algerian soil, a fertile land for terrorism and Jihadi ideology.”
The European MP further called on the union to support Morocco’s efforts to counter entities that threaten the region’s stability.
In addition to voicing his support for Morocco, Zdechovsky expressed his indignation at the prospect of any European Union support for Polisario, saying that “it is unacceptable for us (EU) to support a separatist entity that is actively working to the detriment of Morocco-European shared values.”
“The European Union cannot engage with an entity that adopts a terrorist ideology,” the MP stressed.
Speaking on regional stability in the Sahel and North Africa regions, Zdechovsky said that it should be of the “utmost importance” to the European Union and that any entity willing to conduct hostile operations within the region should be considered as a “terrorist organization for the EU.”
In the same vein, the MP recalled the close ties Rabat and Brussels enjoy in the field of counter-terrorism and terrorism prevention efforts as well as overseeing regional security.
Turning his attention to Algeria’s agency in regional instability, the MP called on Algeria to live up to its duties in supporting the region’s stability. Algeria currently hosts and finances the Polisario militia.
The speech was part of a larger discussion within the European Union on terrorist threats facing European countries. With the presence of security experts, the conference focused on exploring measures to identify and counter these threats.
Polisario’s reputation has long been stained by deep ties to terrorist organizations.
Aside from their Algeria-backed separatist agenda for the region, a member of the Polisario Front, Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi, has been an active member of an ISIS-affiliated group in the Sahel up until his death in 2021 at the hands of French counter-terrorism forces.
According to US sources, Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi was involved in violent and lethal attacks in the Sahel region, and his death came as “welcomed” news to the US state department.
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