Sahara : Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita uses irony to respond to Algeria

After a series of statements on the Sahara by Sabri Boukadoum, in Spain and in his country, Nasser Bourita had to react. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs chose the opening ceremony of the Senegalese Consulate General in Dakhla to respond to his Algerian counterpart.

In an ironic tone, Nasser Bourita said he that «the Sahara issue is the raison d'être of the Algerian diplomacy». He even affirmed that he is «for the first time in agreement» with the appeal launched last week by Sabri Boukadoum to «the two parties to open direct and serious negotiations». 

«This is what Morocco has always asked for, knowing that the two real parties are Morocco and Algeria», he insisted. «Through its mobilization, its declarations and its positions, Algiers confirms daily that it is a real party in this conflict», the minister explained.

For Rabat, there is «no process without Algeria», stressed the Minister of Foreign Affairs. For the record, during the two round tables in Geneva, in December 2018 and March 2019, the kingdom had succeeded in imposing the presence of Algiers as a stakeholder in the discussions placed under the auspices of the UN.

«Algeria is the last country to talk about Human Rights»

Nasser Bourita also denied the remarks made by Sabri Boukadoum, accusing the kingdom of rejecting 10 candidates for the post of personal envoy of the UN secretary general for Western Sahara, but without citing names. «We must see who is hindering the appointment» of a successor to Horst Köhler, he denounced. «Morocco has given its agreement to the appointment of a new envoy (...) and has given the green light to the proposals made, in this sense, by the UN Secretary General», he revealed.

Last week, the Algerian daily El Watan expressed its country's reservations to the candidacy of Portuguese diplomat Louis Amadon, calling him «Guterres' new questionable choice» in addition to the former Romanian prime minister Petre Roman. In December, the same French-speaking daily accused the latter of being «pro-Morocco», adding that «his close proximity to the Makhzen normally disqualifies him».

At the end of his response, Nasser Bourita returned to irony to respond to the request made by Sabri Boulkadoum to have MINURSO monitor human rights. «Is Algeria in a position to talk about human rights? Algeria is the last country to talk about human rights», he said. The Minister also defended the UN mission and its efforts in monitoring the ceasefire. «Morocco is keen on respecting the ceasefire and is engaged in the political process (…) but with the real party that is Algeria».

Bourita concluded his intervention on this aspect by calling on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities, during the meeting of April 21, by identifying «who respects the ceasefire and who is violating it, who is with the appointment of a new personal envoy and who hinders it, who is with the political process and who maneuvers to torpedo it and who supports MINURSO?»