Morocco Pressures EU to Recognize Sahara Claim, Says Polisario Official

"Morocco wanted Spain and the European Union to follow the declaration of Donald Trump (American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, editor’s note) and who wants to legalize the Moroccan fait accompli. The EU has not followed this violation of international law," he said in an interview with RTBF. According to him, to achieve this goal, the kingdom took advantage of the emergency admission of the Polisario boss to a hospital in Logroño, not far from Zaragoza, under the borrowed name of Mohamed Ben Battouche, of Algerian nationality, to put pressure on the Iberian peninsula.

A pressure that has increased following the massive influx of migrants to Ceuta and Melilla in mid-May. "It is a policy of permanent blackmail against Europe. European countries have wanted to accommodate Morocco come what may. This complicity with Morocco has encouraged it to cross red lines, including using its own civilian population, including children, to blackmail Spain and Europe. This is unacceptable," denounces Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, calling on the EU to assume its responsibilities on the one hand and Morocco to respect the borders of its neighbors, stabilize relations with its neighborhood, on the other.

The head of the "Sahrawi diplomacy" also accuses Morocco of "calling into question security not only in the Maghreb region, but also in Europe."