Algiers – Once again, Moncef Marzouki has emerged to offer his perspective on the Western Sahara issue, consistently echoing a narrative favorable to Morocco. His recent pronouncements, delivered in a polished manner, selectively interpret history and invariably amplify the Moroccan viewpoint as undisputed fact. This goes beyond mere political opinion; it is a skewed representation of a conflict spanning half a century, disregarding international law and established facts.
While Marzouki is entitled to admire Morocco or cherish his memories with King Mohammed VI, this does not grant him license to distort reality or disregard the legal principles governing a matter that has remained under United Nations supervision as part of decolonization efforts for decades. A response is necessary, not merely to defend Algeria, but to uphold international legitimacy and established legal and historical truths.
Marzouki’s claim that Algeria’s assertion of not being a party to the conflict is no longer convincing is a deliberate misrepresentation, removing the statement from its international context. The United Nations has clearly defined the involved parties as Morocco and the Polisario Front, a position reinforced by the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in 1975. Algeria’s role is that of an observer nation committed to defending the right to self-determination, a principle enshrined in its own liberation in 1962.
Algeria’s hosting of Sahrawi refugees since 1975 does not make it a party to the conflict. Would Jordan or Turkey be considered ‘parties’ in the Syrian crisis simply because they host millions of refugees? Conflating humanitarian assistance with political involvement is a flawed attempt to alter the nature of the conflict.
Marzouki’s insistence that recent Security Council resolutions ‘settle’ the matter in favor of Moroccan autonomy directly contradicts the texts of those resolutions. Resolutions 2703 and 2756 explicitly state the need for a mutually agreed-upon political solution between the parties, based on the principle of self-determination. Furthermore, over 80 nations recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a founding member of the African Union.
