Algerian Official Criticizes Morocco at Polisario Event

Thursday 18 July 2024 - 07:33

In a familiar display of regional tension, Salah Goudjil, President of Algeria’s Council of the Nation, delivered a strong critique of Morocco during the opening of the Polisario Front's "summer university" in Boumerdes, northern Algeria, on July 14. The speech, read by Mohamed Reda Ousahla, the vice-president of the lower house responsible for foreign relations, has sparked a backlash from Moroccan officials and media.

Goudjil accused Morocco of exhibiting “colonial arrogance” and practicing a “colonial policy based on lies, falsification of facts, and procrastination.” He reiterated Algeria's unwavering support for the Polisario Front and their claims over Sahara, emphasizing that Algeria “will never abandon Sahara.”

Moroccan sources quickly highlighted what they perceive as inconsistencies and ulterior motives in Goudjil’s statements. While the Algerian official referred to the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (RASD) as if it were an established state with an “embassy” in Algiers, he also spoke of the Polisario’s objective to “build” an independent Sahrawi state, inadvertently acknowledging its current nonexistence.

Many Moroccans interpreted Goudjil’s remarks as a veiled admission of Algeria’s expansionist ambitions in the region, viewing it as an affront to Morocco’s territorial integrity.

Historical context adds weight to these concerns. A 2002 UN Secretary-General report previously disclosed a proposal, signed by then-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to partition Sahara between Algeria and the Polisario Front. Morocco rejected this plan, asserting its sovereignty over the Sahara.

This incident further strains the already tense relations between Algeria and Morocco, which have been fraught since Algeria severed diplomatic ties with its neighbor in August 2021. Analysts often interpret Algeria’s focus on Morocco as an attempt to deflect domestic criticism from its political establishment's repeated shortcomings.

As the situation continues to unfold, both nations remain locked in a contentious and deeply rooted geopolitical struggle that shows no sign of resolution.