The latest report from the United Nations Secretary-General has dismissed the statements from Algeria and the Polisario about a fictional war in the Sahara.
The report further added that Algeria continues to avoid participation in discussions, while the Polisario obstructs the work of the MINURSO mission. It also highlighted Morocco’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in 1991.
The report added that Morocco is taking a serious stance towards all initiatives aimed at ending the conflict in the region, while the Polisario and its supporter, Algeria, continue to push for more complexity.
In an interview with MoroccoLatestNews English, Driss Guenbouri, political science analyst,said that “the Polisario is working diligently with the support of Algeria to incite events in the Moroccan Sahara in order to draw international public opinion and the United Nations’ attention to issues that are in fact not plaguing the Sahara region at all.”
Guenbouri went on to explain that “these actions by the Polisario come at a time when there are numerous crises worldwide and in the Arab region, such as the war in Ukraine and Palestine, along with other tension hotspots. This has led the efforts of the United Nations and other countries to shift their focus to these regions, isolating the Polisario and Algeria.”
Guenbouri said that Morocco’s proposal for autonomy is gaining positive traction, attracting support from many nations.
Both the Polisario and Algeria are facing embarrassment, especially after Spain’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and its endorsement of the autonomy plan.
“Spain has traditionally been an ally of the Polisario, and with the pressure on France, it is expected that France may change its position, following Spain’s lead. This change could strip the Polisario of its remaining significant support,” said the analyst.
Guenbouri further added that this positive shift towards Morocco in the Sahara issue is what pushed the Polisario to engage in violent acts in the region to make it seem like the situation requires urgent intervention, as evident in the obstruction of the Polisario’s actions as an armed militia and a terrorist movement against MINURSO. These signs indicate the Polisario’s isolation and the loss of any remaining legitimacy it had with European countries.
The analyst praised the report as a positive step in favor of Morocco. He explained that it’s now clear that the Polisario is an armed military movement affiliated with Algeria. This strengthens Morocco’s position as it becomes evident that the Polisario does not seek peace in the region and has realized that the path to peace is no longer in its favor.
“I believe that the conflict will not persist for much longer, and the final decision will favor Morocco,” Guenbouri concluded,