M. Layadi : The Council has held its extraordinary session which is still open, what are the conclusions which you have come up with?
KOE: The debate during the session, held from the last 25 to the 27th May, were devoted to discuss the autonomy project. It concentrated on the intervention of all the members and all of them presented proposals and concepts about the autonomy project. Once this open session ended, we are now preparing the assessment of these interventions, that is finding out the common points and making a concept for this project.
M. Layadi: what is the deadline for the Council to work on that topic?
KOE: You know, as everybody knows, that the autonomy project is a new matter at all levels, political, judicial and organizational one, and it can not be tackled quickly or in a superficial way. We are going to take the necessary time to make a precise and deep study. In this context, were the interventions of the Council members very transparent and democratic and all the members gave their opinions and took time to explain them, and we will certainly be ready at the right time.
M. Layadi: What is the time fixed to have the concept final version ready by the Council?
KOE: We will be ready in October to present the results of our work to His Majesty the King.
M. Layadi: But, Morocco is supposed to present its proposal in a fixed time, isn’t it?
KOE: No, you know it is His Majesty the King who decides about the final version of the Moroccan project. His Majesty has consulted the political parties, and the Royal Advisory Council is working on the same thing, and once all the consultations made, He will set the final project.
M. Layadi: You have gone on different tours which have brought about some dynamism to the Council, what are the conclusions drawn from these tours?
KOE: We are at the beginning of our tours, you know that we have visited France and Spain three times, and we will go next week to visit the European Parliament and European Union, Belgium and France again. The aim of these visits is to present the Royal Council, its aims and the reasons behind its being founded by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, and of course, we will talk about the Moroccan Sahara issue and the real conflict about it, and its different historical, diplomatic and political sides. The feeling we had is that all the meetings we had with the parties we met, and they are very powerful ones, were successful meetings and all of them welcomed the autonomy project, as a democratic solution to the conflict, which suits all the parties, and they all recognized the Royal Council as an acceptable negotiating partner.
M.Layadi: You have made an appeal to the associations supporting Polisario, was there any reaction about it?
KOE: Concerning our visit to some regions/parties in Spain, which would continue in the future, we found that there was no negative reaction to our appeal or letters, on the contrary, they were welcomed, but certainly such visits would perturb the strategy followed by the others, because the autonomy project is a new concept.
M. Layadi: Did you feel any real response, and could you give us some examples?
KOE: Of course, since we met during these visits the political parties whether representing the majority or the opposition, the parliamentary groups, the actual governments, press and civil society. What we present to them is a new speech and a new strategy which they did not expect, as Morocco has now a new initiative, His Majesty the King’s autonomy project, and at this level, their reaction was a very positive one. Of course, we still need to make more efforts and to work hard.
M. Layadi: What do you think about the position of Algeria as regard to Morocco’s initiative?
KOE: You know the Arab adage which says that silence is wisdom or silence is consent, that is we address Algeria with a speech for reconciliation, built on the declaration of Algeria, Morocco’s sister country, in which it says that it has nothing to do with this issue. But the way it deals with the United Nation’s envoy Walsum and its reactions within the United Nations and its structures is in contradiction with what it says?
KOE: For sure, there is a transition phase, things won’t be able to change in quick time.
M. Layadi: Do you still think that the Moroccan Sahara issue is a Moroccan-Moroccan issue and Algeria is not part of it?
KOE: Of course, the Sahara issue is an internal Moroccan problem which has taken international dimensions for well known reasons, that is the conflict was about the frontiers with Algeria, the Arab-Arab conflicts and the cold war. This is an internal problem, and this is why His Majesty the King presented an internal Moroccan solution to solve this problem definitely. Of course, all the parties that were involved in this problem, in a way or another, should abandon in an honourable way.
M. Layadi: How would you interpret the last position of Algeria?
KOE: I have already told you that the transition in positions won’t happen within a short time.
M. Layadi: Does is mean that you expect a change in the Algerian position?
KOE: I wish and would like to.
M. Layadi : But there is a difference between the wish and the way things would really concretely get developed?
KOE: No, the normal process is to work hard and God would help us. We work with good intentions in the reconciliation process and hope the Algerian intentions would be the same when it declares to everybody that it is not concerned with the Sahara issue, so the question is a question of intentions.
M. Layadi: But intention needs some practical behaviour and what we notice on field is completely the opposite of Algeria’s declarations?
KOE: We hope things would take their way towards reconciliation.
M. Layadi : Till now, you have not visited some Algerian political parties and some associations which are against the idea of separation and refuse territorial division?
KOE: You know that there are some sensitivities between Morocco and Algeria and we do not want to raise any of them. We want a solution with the State, we want to prepare a psychological atmosphere for our discussions with Algeria, and we seek to put down all the psychological negative obstacles existing since 30 years.
M. Layadi : Till today, how do you consider the American position regarding the issue?
KOE: We had the honour to receive the Ambassador of USA, here in the headquarters of the Council, and the USA is a very important country, very powerful all over the world, and it is looking for a solution based on negotiations and a concrete solution.
M. Layadi: Some people think that when Kufi Anan said in his report, that among the obstacles that stood against the resolution of the Sahara issue is the fact that it is not among the priority of important countries which want to preserve good relations with both sides Morocco and Algeria, he was referring to countries among which the USA.
KOE: No, the USA’s position is to look for a solution as quickly as possible, and that it should be a political solution that is substantial autonomy, and nothing else. Concerning what was said by Mr. Kufi Anan, I think the problem is there but it does not constitute a big international crisis but it is a long lived crisis and the USA are keen to find a solution to this conflict and encourage the efforts made by the Moroccan side.
M. Layadi: Recently, there have been some dangerous events in connection with repression of the sequestered people in the Polisario camps, what can you say about it?
KOE: Those are the results of the establishment of the Royal Advisory Council for the Saharan Affairs. It has in impact on the situation in camps where people are keen to come back to their land and are looking for a quick solution. People are fed up in the Polisario camps, and I want to emphasize that the last events in Tindouf camps are dangerous because they show how weak the Polisario Front is, and its inability to be open to other ideas. It has violated the human rights, has forbidden democracy, and put people under curfew, cut off phone communication for a certain time and hidden some information and it wanted these events to be within a closed circle and nobody outside could get knowledge of them. All this is against the rules, and from now on, there would be no occasion to hide the reality because people want to be out of this present situation, nobody wants to stay in Lahmada and everybody is looking for a solution, and the solution is available, that is the autonomy project.
M. Layadi: Where you able to discuss with some people from Polisario?
KOE: Of course, not some people but many people.
M. Layadi : What about your appeals to the Polisario leaders, through the TV program “Hiwar” . How were they received in your opinion?
KOE: They were well received.
M. Layadi: But some of their declarations, especially those of Mr. Abdelaziz Marrakchi, were “not good ones”.
KOE: Listen, the declarations are one thing and the reality is another thing. We are in discussion with our brothers, and we are discussing in a free popular way, with no restrictions. It is the case also with the Polisario leaders, but it is not an official discussion, and I have always asked, and I am still asking, to have a discussion with Mohamed Abdelaziz and the other Polisario leaders.
M.Layadi: A direct discussion?
KOE: Yes, a direct one. We want to discuss and we are strong in discussions. We want to negotiate and it is the Polisario Front which refuses to do so as it feels itself weak.
M.Layadi: Why don’t you say Polisario is not the one to decide?
KOE: We will show whom ever has the power to decide when it comes to the political and military organization of the Polisario. Concerning the decision of the Sahrawi people as individuals and groups, there is no kind of authority on them.
M. Layadi: It is strongly said that there is a division within the Polisario Front, and the emergence of a group called “Shahid” or the martyr, Is it really a division or a new game from the separatists?
KOE: I have heard and read about this new opposition within the Polisario, which is called the “martyr”. It is a new information, and this is all I can say about it.
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas