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Friday, March 29, 2024
Written Press

The chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), Khalihenna Ould Errachid, said, in an interview to La Gazette du Maroc that autonomy is the ideal solution for the Sahara conflict.









In an interview which he gave us in his house in Rabat, he talks about the reality, particularity and complexity of this issue in addition to the first actions carried out by the CORCAS of which he is the president and which is asked to play a major role in the coming months. Full text of the interview.

La Gazette du Maroc : first, let’s start with the royal amnesty accorded to 48 Sahrawi detainees following an intervention in favour of them by the Royal Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) which you are presiding. Is this shows that the CORCAS has already started its mission?

Khalli Henna Ould Errachid : Yes, of course. This is a concrete proof that our council has already started its action and its prerogatives. A constructive,effective and political action on all levels.

This move by HM the King Mohammed VI to pardon the rest of detainees following the last events which took place in the Saharan provinces is a concrete proof that the policy carried out by the Sovereign is a serious and clear-sighted policy aiming at implementing the speech’s content of March 25 in the city of Laayoune. The move which aims, above all, at creating the atmosphere for a definitive and irreversible reconciliation between Sahrawi populations wherever they are and turning the page of the past and of all negative aspects and inaugurating a new era.

The main axis of this initiative is the fact that autonomy will be founded on strong, powerful and modern bases which include all sectors, whether political, economic or social in a way that can satisfy all components of Moroccan society in addition to Sahrawi components.
 
Accordingly, the current policy intends to show that the Moroccan project led by His Majesty the King is a serious and credible one.

LGM: the last report of Koffi Annan, in addition to the fact that he has recommended the prolongation of the MINURSO in the Sahara, has called for a fair policy accepted by all parties. Is this mean that James Baker’s plan has been definitively abandoned along with a self-determination referendum?

K.H.O.R : of course, this is the first impression given by Koffi Annan’s last report submitted to the Security Council. According to this report, Koffi Annan confirms that Baker plan is definitively buried.  This plan cannot be applied to an issue like the Sahara. Self-determination project, mainly its steps regarding the identification process of populations which have the right to participate, has exhausted all the UN efforts during many years. A procedure founded on identification which the UN has never done throughout the world since its creation in 1948.

Therefore, a referendum cannot be applied simply due to the fact that Sahrawi tribes that the UN registered do not live only in the Sahara but also in some neighbouring countries such as Algeria, Mauritania, and the north of Mali. If we want to organize a free, sincere, democratic and fair referendum, the referendary operation should include all Sahrawis scattered in these countries which is impossible. Starting from this point, referendum, and identification, more specifically, is almost impossible. Therefore, only a negotiated political identification can satisfy all parties.

LGM: first reaction, the Polisario head said that the Moroccan autonomy project constitutes a great prejudice against Sahrawis while the Moroccan government, via its spokesmen, Nabil Benabdallah, refuses to hold any negotiation with Polisario and prefers to negotiate directly with Algeria. As the chairman of the Sahrawi advisory council, what is your attitude concerning this contradictory reactions?

K.H.O.R : autonomy project does not constitute a prejudice against Sahrawis. It is a fair project which grants to the Saharan populations all rights in all domains.
First, it plainly recognizes their status within the Moroccan state as an essential historic component of the Moroccan nation. Second, autonomy does not constitute a prejudice against Sahrawis in terms self-determination. It grants them some undeniable rights, not only economic but also social and political. In other words, this project allows the inhabitants of this region to manage their life and land in order to make them deal with their affairs and richness by themselves. It also allows them to benefit from all economic advantages and preserve their customs within the framework of the Kingdom of Morocco. Sahara inhabitants have deep historic and religious links with Amir Al Mouminin and Morocco’s King. These links have been built since many centuries by their parents, grandparents and ancestors.  We cannot, under any circumstances, abandon our attachment to allegiance since it implies political and economic rights. This is what autonomy project says and guarantees.

Naturally, in order to translate autonomy project into reality, we are ready to start negotiations with the Polisario Front. They are our brothers and they belong to our Sahrawi community.

Unfortunately, some particular circumstances, mainly motivated by Cold War effects and the East-West conflict before thirty years, in addition to the internal situation that Morocco witnessed during a particular stage of its history, have encouraged our Polisario brothers to adopt such an extremist attitude. However, nowadays, they no longer have a reason to claim scission because all rights of Sahrawi populations will be guaranteed by autonomy project.

With regard to Algeria, this brotherly country, this Arab, Muslim and African country which says that it has no role in this conflict, we say that we believe in this version; however, we ask it to abandon its dreams of the past. I am talking about border problems with the Kingdom of Morocco. The majority of these conflicts are obsolete.


We will ask Algeria to help us start negotiations with our Polisario brothers in order to gather Sahara populations and create the bases of an autonomy process which would allow them to realize their objectives. These projects allow Morocco to extend its sovereignty on the territory and answer Sahrawis claims at the political, economic, social and cultural levels. It also allows Algeria to preserve its dignity and find an honourable way-out since it has helped Sahrawis for many years. It will therefore be proud of helping something concrete.

Accordingly, autonomy project is the only possible solution to solve the Sahara issue. There is no other option, whether through the UN or other powers.

It is also the basis on which the Great Maghreb should be founded so that people can at last focus on their problems relating to development and promote democracy, multilateral cooperation and the protection of the environment.

LGM: you have invited Polisario head to accept this autonomy project. Nevertheless, many Moroccan political men claim that he should be judged as war criminal as is hoped by Moroccan detainees by the movement.

K.H.O.R : reconciliation is essential in our Muslim religion. We cannot talk about dissentions or trials when we are heading towards reconciliation. We are ready to help our brother, Mohamed Abdelaziz, Polisario head, preside the autonomy authority and we are determined to react by all means to realize this objective within the framework of the Moroccan sovereignty and under the leadership of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI. It is the best way to turn the page of the past and inaugurate a new era.

LGM : when you refer to the possibility to appoint Mohamed Abdelaziz as the head of autonomy , how will this happen? Through ballot, through legal elections or through direct nomination?

K.H.O.R : no, through elections. Consequently, we are ready to support him in order to preside autonomy. This act rims with our desire to concretize reconciliation and forget the past.

LGM : You have also expressed about your desire to meet Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Are you preparing to concretize this meeting?

K.H.O.R : First of all, let me say that we have learnt that President Bouteflika is undergoing medical examinations. We wish him a speedy recovery. To answer your question, I have got the agreement and permission of His Majesty Mohammed VI to meet President Bouteflika and government officials of the brotherly Algerian state. We would like to tell it first of all and directly that we are authentic Sahrawis and that the majority of Sahrawis who live under the Moroccan sovereignty believe that autonomy is the only possible solution to attain reconciliation.

 This autonomy is so sufficient for us. Africa suffers from a lot of problems, difficulties and crises. Small countries which are generally founded on tribal considerations have difficulties to get out. Look at what is going on in Somalia, our Arab and African brother which is not able to reconcile tribes. Look at what is going on in Darfur, in western Sudan, where tribes continue to kill each other.

We cannot found a small entity on purely tribal foundations in the Sahara. However, this will be a permanent source of misfortune and conflicts for all countries of the Maghreb, for Africa and even at the international level.

We are so close to Western Europe which works hard, under the aegis of the European Union and the US to create conditions for sustainable peace in the world.

Therefore, we should avoid all what is likely to lead to tensions.

Autonomy is the ideal solution for the Sahara. First, because it satisfies citizens claims especially because it can avoid us instability and no war no peace situations. On the other hand, it contributes to reinforce fraternity between countries and people of the Maghreb. Sahrawis have relationship with Mauritania and Algeria at the human, familial and geographic levels.

  LGM: what are the reasons why did Morocco postpone submission of its autonomy project to the Security Council which was expected to take place at the end of April?

K.H.O.R : it was not possible to present the Moroccan proposal to the Security Council in April. The CORCAS had just been appointed and we didn’t even start consultations with the royal palace in order to prepare the ground for autonomy project concerning this region. When consultations will be finished, Morocco will submit a studied and well- tied up project.

LGM: meanwhile, have you already stared contacting the concerned Sahrawi tribes whether in Morocco or abroad?

K.H.O.R : since last March 25,  following the setting up of CORCAS, we started contacting our brother Sahrawis in Morocco and abroad in order to explain the broad lines of the Royal initiative. It is an unprecedented initiative in Morocco which will result in a historic reconciliation.

We have begun by explaining the Moroccan proposal to citizens whether through the media or through direct contacts. According to the first impressions, the majority of Sahrawis are satisfied with this initiative.

LGM: last question. As CORCAS chairman, how do you personally see the end of this conflict especially that Koffi Annan has said that this issue does not appear on the agenda of the main members of the Security Council  for various reasons since many of them want to keep good relations with Morocco and Algeria?

K.H.O.R: this analysis shows that there is no solution to this issue except consensual reconciliation. War did not turn out any result. A referendum based on identification is impossible. Thus, the only option remaining is consensus and acceptation by all parties of autonomy project unless we want to endure this purely artificial conflict.

 

 

 

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