During his visit to the Canary Islands in a mission to clarify autonomy proposal being prepared by Western Sahara, Khalihenna Ould Errachid stressed the necessity to intensify “insufficient” relations between Morocco and the islands but which will improve in case the region controlled by it officially becomes under its sovereignty. While waiting the arrival of the Moroccan proposal to the United Nations next October, the representative of the Alaouite Kingdom has described the manifestations taking place in the region as “insignificant events” and they reveal the existence of a “flourishing trade” of immigration routes. With regard to this landscape, he referred to the role expected by the Canary Islands to help find a solution to this Sahrawi conflict.
The Chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid stressed the important of the role that can be played by the Canary Islands in the settlement of the Sahara issue.
He stressed "the mediator role," which the Canary Islands can play in order to "persuade (Polisario) of the benefits of the autonomy project" which will enable final settlement of this issue.
He stressed the need to strengthen relations between the Canary Islands and Morocco adding that "the autonomy solution under Moroccan sovereignty would also be in favor of the archipelago."
La Opinión de Tenerife: what real and concrete role should be played by Canary Islands?
KOE: the Canary islands are the closest Spanish region to the Sahara including at the human, political and emotional levels. People from the Canary Islands emotionally supported Sahrawis for a long time. We greatly appreciate this feeling towards Sahrawis and the camps. We want this mutual feeling to change into assistance to find a way out of the today deadlock. We have to avoid dogmatism since it will not help find a solution. We belive that the Canary Islands, because of their current relationship with Polisario, can contribute towards making ideas closer and making our brothers in Polisario more rational.
La Opinión de Tenerife: even so, the Canaries government and the Canary alliance, in addition to other institutions and political parties defend the organization of a referendum as stated by the United Nations.
KOE: not possible. The UN found out that a referendum based upon identification is impossible. Why? Because the Sahrawi people do not live only in the former Spanish Western Sahara. The Sahrawi people represent 34 tribes living in four countries, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and northern Mali. Therefore, there will be no real referendum based on identification. In this case borders should be changed and this is impossible.
La Opinión de Tenerife: the UN also said that the Sahrawi people have the right to self-determination…KOE: Yes and we believe that autonomy is a developed way of self-determination.
La Opinión de Tenerife: but autonomy is a Moroccan proposal…
KOE: Yes, it is a proposal to get rid of the current stagnant situation. Since war was catastrophic, and referudum is impossible, the only remaining solution is the status quo and this is a catastrophe: people will go on living in camps, closed borders, no possibility for stability in the future… Morocco has proposed a final solution to this problem.
La Opinión de Tenerife: there is still a conflict, however, today there has been dispute about the exploitation of natural resources in the region. Also, there is a UN report on the legality to use these resources?
KOE: this is too much philosophy, I think that the European Union has recently signed a fishing agreement with Morocco without taking into account all these things. We will be talking about these resources within autonomy. Morocco does not profit from anything in the Sahara; on the contrary, Morocco is investing Moroccans money in the Sahara. This is propaganda.
La Opinión de Tenerife: what would autonomy concretely offers to the Canary islands?
KOE: Everything. The Canary Islands will be the first beneficiary. They are the closest neighbour to the region, including exchange, investments, technical assistance, tourism, maritime and air transportation…everything. We will open up the African continent to the Canary people.
La Opinión de Tenerife: Sahrawi associations and Polisario accuse you of growing rich at the expense of Sahrawi population…
KOE: No this is nonsense and hostile propaganda. First, I wrote a letter to Spanish associations backing the Sahrawi people asking them “ to help as resolve this problem not to make it last longer. Political or human assistance is likely to help solve the problem but if you support independence, you will not be able to help society”. Associations cannot vote in our places, they cannot pre-emptively vote for independence. This is what they did and it is not democratic.
La Opinión de Tenerife: is democracy to apply autonomy without the support of all Sahrawis?
KOE: No, it is a proposal to find way out of the deadlock…
La Opinión de Tenerife: Yes but you’ve described it a the only solution…
KOE: since referendum is impossible… 2 options remain: stay where we are, or this solution which does not satisfy all Sahrawis but which is appropriate. In addition, this solution is working in some democratic developed countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany…
Concerning that nonsense, I say I am a Sahrawi like the others and I do all I can to defend my country’s interests.