Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria
The Tebboune regime does not cease in its attempt to get the Biden Administration to finally change its mind regarding the acceptance of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the best solution to the prolonged stagnation of Western Sahara. Ahmed Attaf, Algeria’s Foreign Minister, made a series of additional comments in which he claimed that Washington had “explicitly distanced itself” from Donald Trump’s proclamation.
The Algerian regime has constantly pushed for the US administration to revoke the proclamation of predecessor Donald Trump in support of territorial integrity since the USA first declared his unequivocal adoption of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for the Sahara in December 2020. Attaf’s most recent statements on the Sahara issue, which he made in an interview published by Al-Monitor, are the perfect example of Algeria’s persistence in questioning the United States’ clear and unequivocal support for the position.
Specifically, Attaf misrepresented Biden’s position during the interview by claiming that he had not “endorsed Trump’s decision.” While this was happening, Al Monitor reported that the White House had subtly sought a more neutral stance to “establish a middle ground,” despite its decision “not to rescind former President Donald Trump’s recognition of Alawite sovereignty.”
“This means that he does not recognize that the area is Moroccan. If I knew, I wouldn’t need to make an extra effort to solve the problem” Ahmed Attaf, Algerian Foreign Minister
Washington’s neutral stance on the Western Sahara issue is actually, as some observers have argued, a more diplomatic and gradual attempt to carry out the previous Administration’s Sahara policy without alienating the Polisario Front. Algeria, on the other hand, has been eager to intentionally modify Biden’s delicate “juggling act” as evidence that the current US administration is not committed to implementing its predecessor’s policy regarding the Sahara dispute.
The Algerian minister affirmed that the statement of the United States after his meeting with Secretary Antony Bliken does not imply that, ignoring both the statement made public by the State Department and the repeated statements made by American officials in recent months, it recognizes Moroccan dominance over the area.
The spokesman stressed that “we fully support the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Staffan de Mistura, as he intensifies efforts to achieve a just and lasting political solution for Western Sahara.” Miller’s statement that this policy “has not changed” indicates that the White House continues to see the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the only serious, sincere and reliable basis for resolving the Sahara conflict.
Following a recent meeting between Attaf and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Algeria’s Foreign Ministry said the two men had concluded their discussion on the Sahara dispute “reiterating support for the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”
To the surprise of Algiers, the U.S. State Department immediately questioned the Algerian Ministry’s interpretation of the meeting of Attaf and Blinken, stressing that the two sides agreed to reiterate their support to the personal envoy while he “consults intensively with all parties involved to achieve the political solution of the Western Sahara issue.”
The role of the UN
During a press conference, a journalist questioned Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman of the UN secretary general, about Staffan De Mistura’s efforts to restart the fractured political process that the UN oversees in relation to the Sahara conflict.
The spokesman stressed that the UN will release any details about Mistura’s upcoming trip as soon as it is confirmed and declined to answer the journalist’s second question about the envoy’s trip to Morocco. The UN envoy’s visit to the Alawite country since he took office was a question the journalist insisted on asking, but the spokesman said he had no information to confirm. The UN vehemently refutes the rumors linked to the possible resignation of De Mistura since May of this year.
The spokesperson also reaffirmed De Mistura’s dedication to the UN-supervised political process and his efforts to facilitate communication with all parties involved to find a solution to the Western Sahara dispute that is acceptable to all, in a variety of formats, such as regional visits and bilateral opportunities.
“The Personal Envoy plans to maintain and intensify engagements with all interested and broader international supporters,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Since his appointment in October 2021 by the UNSF, De Mistura has been committed to working to resolve the Sahara conflict by holding talks and informal consultations with all parties involved, including Algeria, the Polisario Front, Morocco and Mauritania.
Source : Atalayar
