Morocco’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Omar Hilale, denounced Wednesday, in two letters addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) and to the resident and members of the Security Council (SC), South Africa’s complicity with Algeria and the “polisario”, its absolute appropriation of Algeria’s geopolitical agenda and its full ideological support to the armed separatist group.
Reacting to a letter by the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations (UN) on the Moroccan Sahara, Hilale stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco “deeply regrets that South Africa allows itself, once again, to play part in the agenda of an armed separatist group, with proven links to terrorism in the Sahel.”
Hilale added that the infamous terrorist “Adnan Abu Walid Sahraoui”, was a member of the “polisario” before becoming head of the terrorist group “Islamic state in the Greater Sahara,” recalling that this individual had a tendency of seeking refuge in the camps of Tindouf, where he would be treated, before being executed on September 15, 2021.
The diplomat added that the deputy of “Abu Walid Sahraoui”, the known terrorist “Lakhal Sidi Salama”, alias “Abdelhakim Sahraoui”, was also a member of the “polisario” and was executed on May 20, 2021.
In a similar context, the diplomat said that the German newspaper Die Welt published, on January 23, the results of an investigation based on parallel reports of several European intelligence services, confirming, with supporting evidence, that the “polisario” made the Tindouf camps a hub for the funding of terrorism in the Sahel, through the “Hawala” which allows the anonymous transfer of funds between Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, especially to terrorist groups and individuals involved in regional disruption.
Hilale also noted that Morocco regrets that the Permanent Mission of South Africa serves as a messenger for a fictitious entity not recognized by the United Nations (UN), and the alleged outcome of a farce known as the “16th congress of the polisario.”
The Moroccan diplomat further pointed out that Algeria has paid huge sums to fly mercenaries of speech from Europe and other regions to this so-called “congress,” while women and children in the camps of Tindouf suffer from malnutrition, anemia, diphtheria and lack of school materials.
“Discussing the decisions of this so-called ‘Congress’ is an insult to the intelligence of the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) and the members of the Security Council (SG). These decisions are prepared in advance by the host country, Algeria, and then imposed on the participants in this farce, similar to the parody ‘election’ of the so-called +Brahim Ghali+,” he added.
Hilale further added that South Africa must ask itself why Algeria, the main party in this regional dispute, avoids personally submitting the letters of its “polisario”, and assigns this shameful task to another country, in this case, South Africa.
He also noted that Algeria, which created this armed separatist group, shelters it on its territory, arms it, funds it, and makes it the priority of its diplomacy agenda, should have the political courage to fully assume its actions, and this by submitting, through its own Permanent Mission, the propaganda of its creation, further noting that “Algeria’s outsourcing of its diplomatic transmission service is morally unethical and politically disrespectful of the United Nations (UN).”
“The Kingdom of Morocco deeply regrets that South Africa is distributing a letter full of lies about the human rights situation in the Moroccan Sahara, at a time when the Security Council (SC) praises, in its resolutions, the role of the two regional commissions of the Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Laayoune and Dakhla, as well as Morocco’s cooperation with the United Nations Human rights mechanisms,” said Hilale.
The diplomat stressed that the Kingdom also regrets that South Africa, a country that aspires to play an important role in maintaining international peace and security, delivers to the members of the Security Council (SC) a letter that promotes war, calls for armed violence and terrorist acts, falsely justifies the denunciation of ceasefire and violates the Security Council (SC) resolutions.
In this regard, Hilale stated that through this act, South Africa contributes to the maintenance of the “polisario,” and its sponsor Algeria, in their Tindoufian illusion of the Settlement Plan and the referendum, which have been dead and disappeared for over two decades from the Security Council’s (SC) resolutions, the General Assembly and the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG).
The ambassador also reported that Morocco would like to inform South Africa that its absolute appropriation of Algeria’s geopolitical agenda and its unconditional ideological support to the armed separatist group “polisario” will not help the resolution of this regional dispute, nor will it put an end to the decade-long suffering of the trapped populations in the Tindouf camps.
He also stressed that the Security Council (SC) has, over two decades ago, made a definitive decision to choose the political solution, based on pragmatism, realism, compromise, and mutual acceptance.
Hilale further noted that this choice is the same one a great number of countries have followed by recognizing the Moroccan Sahara for some, strong and frank support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative for many others, and the opening of General Consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla for several others.
“South Africa would benefit from inviting Algeria and its “polisario” to adhere to global legitimacy by implementing Security Council (SC) Resolution 2654 and by partaking in the roundtable process in good conscience to resolve this regional dispute,” Hilale added.
In this regard, Hilale called upon South Africa to join the momentum for peace, led by the Security Council and supported by 100 nations worldwide, noting that the vast majority of these nations support the sole efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General, his Personal Envoy and the Security Council and support the autonomy Initiative as the only solution to this regional dispute.
