Rabat – Despite the growing setbacks and blows, the Algerian-backed Polisario Front continues to fake “international” presence amid isolation and irrelevance.
Algerian mouthpiece media, as well as Polisario news websites, are reporting on the Polisario Front’s representatives’ meetings with officials in Brussels as part of the preparatory sessions for the 3rd meeting of AU and EU foreign Ministers that will take place today in Brussels.
In what appears as a staged presence show, Polisario media reported today that the self-styled “minister of Foreign Affairs” held talks with his counterpart from Algeria’s Ahmed Attaf.
The report said that “the discussions allowed both parties to exchange views on the latest developments regarding the Western Sahara issue, particularly at the regional and international levels.”
The statement comes as merely a new theatrical display as Algeria continues to orchestrate an anti-Morocco campaign to challenge the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
Algeria harbors the separatist group in a remote area called Tindouf, where about 90,000 Sahrawis live under inhumane conditions marred by diseases, malnutrition, and movement restrictions.
Meanwhile, the Polisario leadership receives billions of dollars from the Algerian regime to exert its agenda of challenging Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Under Algeria’s patronage, the Polisario Front also embezzle humanitarian aid and financial assistance directed to Sahrawis.
The international community, including the UN Secretary General has long warned about the situation in Tindouf and the health and living challenges the population continues to ensure despite the multi-million aid Tindouf receives from the world and UN agencies.
The fact that the Polisario’s presence was not, in fact, at the invitation of the EU comes as a major blow to both the separatist group and Algeria.
Last week, the European Union spokesperson for Foreign Affairs clearly stated that neither the EU nor any of its Member States recognize the self-styled SADR run by Polisario and controlled by the Algerian regime.
The statement comes amid questions on Polisario’s presence during today’s event, noting that any potential infiltration by the fabricated entity stems exclusively from the African Union, not an EU invitation.
“The position of the EU is well known,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Polisario presence at the event has no influence whatsoever in this position.
This is not the first time Polisario’s presence in the EU has been met by rejection.
In January, several MEPs, especially from the PPE group, have called for boycotting a closed-door European Parliament that will see the participation of Polisario Front members.
The EU has been struggling to amend ties with Morocco, stressing the importance of cooperation with the North African country as a strong ally in the MENA region at all levels.
The struggle comes as Morocco has frequently called on the EU to come clear and act to safeguard cooperation between the two parties — particularly following a hostile verdict from the European Court of Justice regarding the EU-Morocco Agriculture and Fisheries agreement.
The hostile verdict took sides with Polisario’s claims against Morocco and called for the invalidation of the EU-Morocco agriculture and fisheries agreements.
Morocco responded to the ECJ’s controversial ruling with a strongly worded statement, noting that the country does not consider the ECJ’s ruling as relevant or important for its agricultural or fisheries agreements with the EU.
“Morocco is not a party to this case, which involves the European Union on one side and the ‘Polisario’ supported by Algeria on the other. Morocco did not participate in any phase of this procedure and, therefore, does not consider itself concerned by the decision,” the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said following the verdict in October of last year.
In November, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said, “Morocco is waiting for the European Union to clarify how it intends to address the provocations and legal and economic pressures that Morocco is currently facing.”
The minister said the country is expecting the EU to propose “meaningful suggestions and solutions that reflect its commitment to this partnership.”
