Algeria denies Mekhzen’s allegations on European aid transfer to refugees in Tindouf

The European Commission Humanitarian Aid department denied “information” given by Morocco about an alleged transfer of a part of European humanitarian aid.

Algeria’s Ambassador to Belgium Amar Blani Friday told Algeria News Agency (APS) the European Commission  Humanitarian Aid department denied the transfer-related information.

“It was meant to cheat on the Moroccan and international public opinion. It was a failed attempt to hit Algeria’s image,” he added.

Earlier, Morocco’s official news agency published a “fake” telegraph aiming at “falsifying the real European support of Sahrawi refugees.”

“This is also meant to divert attention from the Moroccan occupation and human rights violation,” said the Algerian diplomat.

Speaking about the number of Sahrawi refuges, Blani said the Commission said the European Union does not have the prerogative of taking a census of the refugees.

He referred to EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides who said in April that the “European Commission works with a limited number of organizations to ensure full control over aid.”

He added that “humanitarian aid is not granted by any political authority.”

The EU Commissioner also said 24 surveillance operations were conducted in 2015. The Commission’s humanitarian staff had stayed in refugees’ camps for almost two weeks per month.