Algeria Rejects Ex-Official’s Comments on Western Sahara Dispute

"This is a statement that only commits its author. The question of Western Sahara is a decolonization issue handled by the United Nations and its legitimacy is recognized by many States. Algeria’s position on this issue is clear."

This is how Hassan Rabhi, Algerian Minister of Communication, expressed himself at the Forum of the government newspaper, Ech-chaâb. For him, the conflict will not find a solution outside of one that guarantees the right to self-determination through a transparent and inclusive referendum, as provided for in all the charters and all the resolutions adopted by the UN.

"In truth, I consider, from a historical point of view, that the Sahara is Moroccan and nothing else. It was taken from Morocco at the Congress of Berlin. Also, I think that Algeria has spent fabulous sums for fifty years on what is called the Polisario and this organization has done nothing and has not managed to get out of the impasse," Amar Saâdani, former Secretary General of the National Liberation Front (FLN), had declared the previous week in an interview with TSA.

He had also indicated that the relationship between Algeria and Morocco was greater than this issue, before calling for the opening of borders and the normalization of their relations.