Algerian and Moroccan Foreign Ministers took the ongoing dispute over Western Sahara to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday as they addressed other world leaders, reported Arab News.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said that his country will continue to defend the causes of the people who are fighting for their fundamental rights, including the inalienable right to self-determination, particularly in Palestine and Western Sahara.
Lamamra referred to the conflict as a de-colonization issue that automatically conjures up the principle of self-determination as the only solution.
“Algeria believes that the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination is inalienable, non-negotiable, and not subject to statutory limitation,” the Algerian minister said.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, on the other hand, condemned Algerian interference in Western Sahara and reiterated his country’s commitment to finding a comprehensive settlement to the conflict that respects Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Western Sahara accounted for 63 percent turnout in Morocco’s general elections held earlier this month. The voting turnout was the highest nationally and reflects Sahrawi attachment to the country’s territorial integrity.
Bourita urged international leaders to support a realistic and consensual political solution to the crisis. He said such a solution will not be possible until Algeria continues to support the perpetuating regional conflict.
Algeria and Morocco have had strained diplomatic relations for decades, mainly over the Western Sahara issue. Morocco claims the disputed territory is an integral part of its kingdom, but Algeria is in support of the Polisario independence movement, which has fought Morocco for the independence of Western Sahara for decades.
Algeria cut off diplomatic ties with Morocco on August 24, accusing it of hostile actions. Last week, the Algerian government announced the closure of the country’s airspace to all Moroccan civilian and military aircraft after taking into account the continuation of provocations and hostile practices by Morocco.
