Morocco’s UN Representative In Geneva Slanders Algeria

The Ambassador of Morocco at the United Nations in Geneva, Omar Hilale, has uttered slanderous remarks about Algeria and poked his nose into its domestic affairs by likening the current situation in the Southern province of Ghardaia to the tragedy of the Syrian population in the embattled city of Aleppo.

The latter didn’t waver, in defiance of all diplomatic rules, to interfere into Algeria’s internal affairs by wantonly seeking to pour fuel on the fire with the aim of obfuscating the Makhzen’s dismal failure to withstand the ever- growing International community’s support for the just cause of the Sahraoui people in their legitimate quest for freedom and independence in western Sahara.

Morocco’s Ambassador at the UN also leveled grave accusations against Algeria, arguing wrongfully that Algeria was supplying arms to Western Sahara’s Polisario Front and waging an all – out diplomatic campaign in favour of the latter.

In another provocative statement made before the UN council, the Moroccan Ambassador said: “Algeria violates freedom of expression, persecute journalists, close TV channels and represses freedom of assembly with thousands of security agents”.

In a reaction, the chairman of the National advisory commission for the promotion and protection of human rights, Farouk Ksentini, turned down firmly such accusations as libelous and utterly groundless.

He added that Morocco itself had nothing to do with the rule of law and its reckless representatives had not the necessary qualifications to give lessons on human rights which are systematically flouted in occupied Western Sahara and in Morocco itself.

But the many Moroccan claims are nothing but myths, and hypocritical ones at that, says a leading human rights campaigner. “U.S Ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism, Daniel Benjamin, affirmed in press conference last year that there no links between Al-Qaida and the Western Sahara,” he says, “and the same goes for the other myths.” 

The human rights situation in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara and Morocco has been criticized by an array of organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Even so, Morocco tries to smear the human rights record of the Polisario Front in the Saharawi-run Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, where over 150.000 Saharawi’s, who fled the advancing Moroccan troops in 1975, live. “Morocco should not give lessons in human rights to others, “he added. “Especially as Morocco’s own record of human rights gross violations is not honourable.”

“The strength of the cause for Western Saharan independence is that it is both an issue of justice and a moral issue, he concludes. “Our cause cannot be overshadowed by false and distorted propaganda. Morocco should be realistic about this. They should know that they cannot convert Saharawis to be Moroccan or to be the Moroccan king’s subjects by force.

The Saharawis want the legitimate right to live freely in their own sovereign and democratic country. Morocco should end its colonization, human rights violations and the plunder of the Western Sahara’s natural recourses and let them do so.”