Morocco Condemns Spain for Hosting Polisario Leader Amid Diplomatic Row

"The decision of the Spanish authorities not to inform their Moroccan counterparts of the arrival of the leader of the Polisario militias is not a simple omission. It is a premeditated act, a voluntary choice and a sovereign decision of Spain, of which Morocco takes full note. It will draw all the consequences from it," reads a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Since Spain has received the leader of the Polisario militias, accused of war crimes and flagrant human rights violations, on its territory, the Spanish authorities have multiplied the declarations trying to justify this serious act and contrary to the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness," the ministry said, adding that "humanitarian considerations do not justify the maneuvers woven behind the back of a partner and a neighbor" and "cannot be a panacea that is selectively granted to the leader of the Polisario militias, at a time when thousands of people live in inhuman conditions in the Tindouf camps."

It added: "Humanitarian considerations do not explain that one is an accomplice to identity usurpation and passport forgery, intended to deliberately circumvent the law" and "cannot cancel the legitimate claims of the victims of rape, torture and massive human rights violations committed by the leader of the Polisario militia."

Deploring the situation that is seriously impacting the relations between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that "the preservation of the bilateral partnership is a shared responsibility, which feeds on a permanent commitment to safeguard mutual trust, maintain fruitful cooperation and safeguard the strategic interests of the two countries."