The delegation, made of Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, Interior minister, Mr. Taieb Fassi Fihri, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid, Chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), and Mohamed Yassine Mansouri, Director General of Research and Documentation (DGED), underlined the importance of the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
The delegation, which also includes advisors Mr. Mohamed Saleh Tamek, Wali of the region of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira and Maouelainin Maouelainin Ben Khalihenna, general secretary of CORCAS, has also said that, like the two previous meetings held in June and August this year, Morocco will hold the 3rd round (7-9 January), with the same determination to hold, with good faith, substantial and serious negotiations, with a view to effective implementation of Security Council resolutions, stressing that only autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty will allow reach a final solution to this problem and hence ensure stability in the region.
After this working meeting, the other members accompanying the delegation, have, in statements to the national press, evoked efforts that Morocco never ceased to deploy to end this conflict. Efforts which, according to Mr. Brahim Hakim, the former separatist leader, are illustrated by the Moroccan autonomy initiative, aiming to achieve the aspirations of the Sahara peoples.
He stressed that the separatist leaders would be responsible for any possible failure of negotiations involving their lack of sincerity in negotiations as evidenced by their threat to go back to weapons few days before the 3rd round. "How can we say to the world that we seek peace and at the same time giving belligerent statements?" He queried.
Likewise, Mr. Dlimi Ghilani, Morocco's ambassador to Bulgaria, underlined that Morocco’s King, government and people, have opted for negotiations to break the deadlock that has lasted too long and which "could, unfortunately, lead to a very dangerous situation, namely terrorism, which threatens the whole region".
For his part, Mr. Tamek Saleh, said that Morocco tackles this 3rd round with its optimism, its conviction and its project, which is the best way to solve the problems facing the region.
Mr. Tamek noted that the developments occurred in the recent months confirm the correctness of the Moroccan position, citing in this regard the resolutions adopted at the Security Council and the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly.
Morocco, he said, "remains calm, confident, optimistic and responsible, and we believe that the losers are those in front of us namely Algeria and its protected entity because the Kingdom has nothing to hide, and it is indeed our initiative which caused energy that we live nowadays in the region".
For his part, Mr. Mohamed Maalainine, Ambassador of Morocco to Jordan said that allegiance has always existed between the peoples of the Sahara and the Moroccan sovereign.
After advancing that Morocco has been an independent and sovereign country for many centuries and that allegiance has always linked the peoples to Morocco’ s sovereigns, he said that it is this link that preserved Morocco's territorial unity.
As for "Polisario" threat to return to war, Mr. Maalainine said that this was not the first time that the movement "was seen as a terrorist organization."
Mr. Brahim Houssein Moussa, Morocco's ambassador to Venezuela, said that Morocco has always acted in good faith. "The Sahara is Moroccan since the dawn of time," he insisted, criticizing "Polisario" bad faith which still refuses the identification of the populations sequestered in Tindouf, and condemning violations of human rights in those camps.
These people, he added, cannot speak, move freely, or visit their families, denouncing the embezzlement of humanitarian aid to these people.
"Morocco shows good faith and autonomy initiative is a historic opportunity that the separatists must seize and I, personally, as a Moroccan Sahrawi, I urge Polisario leaders to allow people return to motherland in dignity, "he concluded.