Algiers outlines stance on Western Sahara talks

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf detailed his country’s position on the UN-led Western Sahara talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front during a speech on May 24th, according to a report by pro-Algiers outlet TSA Algerie. His comments addressed the ongoing negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The speech took place during an Africa Day event at the ministry’s headquarters in Algiers, where the top diplomat laid out three specific points to clarify Algiers’ role and counter Rabat’s diplomatic stance.

First, Attaf asserted that recent regional developments validate Algeria’s fifty-year diplomatic efforts. He reiterated that Algiers has consistently advocated for direct negotiations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. However, his address omitted any mention of Algeria’s own fifty-year history of providing substantial financial and military backing to the Polisario rebels. Attaf noted that Algeria officially welcomes the current negotiation process, which began earlier this year under the shared guidance of the United States and the United Nations.

Second, the foreign minister defined Algeria’s formal status within these talks. Attaf stated that Algeria and neighbouring Mauritania participate strictly as neighbouring states and observers rather than direct participants. He framed their goal as helping to bring the two main sides together. This distinction serves as a direct message to Rabat. Morocco has long demanded that Algeria sit at the negotiating table as a primary conflict party, arguing that the Polisario Front cannot function without Algiers providing its main military base, funding, and weapons.

Finally, Attaf expressed Algeria’s stated hope for a definitive resolution to the Western Sahara issue. He maintained that any final agreement must guarantee the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. He argued this outcome must align with relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2797, to establish long-term stability throughout the Maghreb.

The speech takes place as both Morocco and Algeria continue to pour record billions into heavy weaponry along their highly reactive frontier, as reported by Maghrebi Week.

Maghrebi.org, Maghreb.org, TSA Algerie.