No one denies that Algeria and I mean here the army Generals and the Algerian state have been one of the most important factors in the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario. The latter’s goal , since its formation, was to oust the foreign occupier from the southern provinces of Morocco but all of a sudden its aim changed with Algeria’s interference even though that it maintains no territorial claim over Western Sahara but continues to be the Polisario backer militarily, financially, diplomatically and morally. Up until now and after 35 years since this conflict started, Algeria holds the same general status; encourage, boost, back and support the Polisario ideology.
The conflict over the Moroccan Sahara plays a significant role in the stability of the Greater Maghreb and the regional relations which led to an almost total failure of efforts for the Maghreb Union. This conflict did not only affect the regional cooperation of 87 million Maghrebis but also the fate of 90,000 Moroccan Saharaoui still sequestered in the camps of Tindouf.It has also increased terrorist acts stemming from Tindouf camps which greatly affected the stability and security of the neighboring countries. Despite the political and economic instability, the dire human rights conditions in the Tindouf camps, the Western Sahara dispute remains not taken seriously by the international community and stays unfortunately among the “forgotten conflicts”.
Instead of peace and reconciliation, the Moroccan-Algerian relations remained strained under Bouteflika’s regime which sought only to hinder the peace process of the Western Sahara conflict. Since his accession to the presidency, Bouteflika has been guided by the Algerian Generals to show little interest in appeasing and conciliating the relations with Morocco.
This can be explained through the categorical refusal to open the Moroccan-Algeria borders despite the endless and unprecedented efforts that Morocco undertook-especially with the arrival of the new Morocco Foreign minister M.El Othmani- to transcend the differences between the two countries. Another motive that shows ideational factors behind Algeria role in the Western Sahara conflict is its conception that a simpatico or proxy state in Western Sahara would give easy access to the Atlantic for natural resources exportation.
It is without a doubt that Algeria is the main, bigger influencing factor of the Polisario more than any country in the world and its financial assistance to the Polisario activities overseas is boundless. Algerian officials stated clearly and in a number of time that this conflict should be in the hands of the Security Council. They made it clear that Algeria will reinforce its cooperation with Morocco in the media sector while avoiding any biased information regarding the Western Sahara conflict but Algeria continues to have a critical point of view in the conflict. It stays the bigger influencing factor of the Polisario more than any country in the world and its financial assistance to the Polisario activities overseas is boundless. Until when?
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