Resolution 2654, an important step in the process of resolving the Sahara issue (Mr. Hilale)

Friday, November 11, 2022 at 6:18 pm

RABAT – Resolution 2654 is an important step in the process of resolving the Sahara issue, noting that it is a text that will “build on the arsenal of Security Council resolutions”.

He noted that the resolution, adopted by the UN Security Council on October 27, “irrevocably anchors the precedent of the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the only solution to this regional conflict, within the framework of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.” Mr. Hilale.

Likewise, he continued, the UN resolution affirmed that “the only solution to the problem of the Moroccan Sahara is political, realistic, practical, lasting and conciliatory” and “Algeria also buried its separatist armed referendum firmly. The Polisario group still clings against the tide of international law embodied by the resolutions of the Security Council.”

Mr. Hilale said, “Reinforcing this provision in resolution 2654 ‘reveals anger over Algeria’s refusal, for almost half a century, to allow the UNHCR to register this population, and that “no one will any longer trust the statistics provided by Algeria to humanitarian agencies”.

At a time when Morocco’s adversaries “cling to outdated paradigms,” the kingdom continues to reap diplomatic gains in support of its autonomy initiative, particularly with the arrival of an international coalition of more than 90 countries. Morocco supports the project. , welcomed by the Moroccan ambassador.

These 90 countries include the two permanent members of the Security Council (the United States and France) and several African, Arab and Latin American countries, including 11 countries of the European Union that recently joined, he added. This alliance, which supports the Moroccan autonomy initiative, will bring Algeria back to the Round Table.

Referring to the issue of child soldiers in Tindouf camps, Mr. Hilale noted that it was the first time the Secretary-General had confirmed the recruitment of child soldiers in Tintouf camps. He referred to this matter in his last report to the Security Council. In the Moroccan Sahara.

“This confirmation vindicates Morocco by reinforcing its relentless calls to draw the attention of the UN and the international community to the forced recruitment of child soldiers, including girls, by the Polisario,” he pointed out. A number of warning messages initiated by Morocco have raised international awareness of this issue of child soldier recruitment.

When asked about the link between Iran and the “Polisario”, the Moroccan ambassador mentioned the “proven” links between Tehran and the separatist front, which has been proven by several security reports and think tanks.

In particular, he warned of the danger of supplying Iranian drones to “Polisario”, saying that Iran is “trying to provoke conflicts in Africa, as it is already doing in other parts of the world. , which Morocco. will never allow.”

If Iranian drones reach North Africa, they pose a serious threat to the entire Maghreb region and, therefore, to the Sahel-Sahara region, which is already ravaged by terrorist groups. Also, it could have an impact on the security of the immediate European neighbors, 14 km from the Moroccan coast,” he warned.