In a report published by the Morocco Times, Ms Durant is quoted as saying that "granting the territory ‘large autonomy' within the Moroccan sovereignty is logic".
“There is a real democratic will in Morocco to end the Sahara conflict," she said, adding that "it is very important to back any dialogue possibility between the concerned parties to seek a peaceful solution to this conflict,” Durant said.
Since 1976, the Sahara issue has caused conflict between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario movement that lays claims to Morocco's southern provinces, known as the Sahara. The area was regained from Spanish occupation under the Madrid Accords.
The Belgian Green Party Federal Secretary, whose group used to support the Polisario's position, now says that “the current changes in Morocco and the international situation enforce us to support all the efforts that are being made to bring the parties together to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution”.
“At some time, we have to support a peaceful solution that is likely to end the humanitarian tragedy of thousands of people in the Tindouf camps, south-west Algeria,” she added.
Durant had met a visiting delegation of former Polisario members, who returned to Morocco after disagreement with the movement's leadership. The delegation also included a former Polisario prisoner.
The delegation arrived in Brussels on Tuesday and held talks with several Belgian representatives, senators and politicians.
Tags: Morocco, Fès, Belgium, Moroccan
2 comments:
The positive changes in Morocco are absolutely no reason at all to sell out the Saharawi. Nothing has changed in regard to the clear-cut right of the Western Saharans to a referendum. The only logic to "large autonomy within Moroccan sovereigny" is the logic of the greater Moroccan thesis which has been totally discredited by the UN and the world community. If there is any "Real democratic will in Morocco to end the Sahara conflict" it is the will to continue and consolidate Morocco's illegal occupation. Isabel Durant has been eating way to many Belgian chocolates when she says that "it is very important to back any dialogue possibility between the two parties to seek a peaceful solution to this conflict." Dialogue to discuss what? Rabat has already rejected the Baker 2 plan for a period of autonomy followed by a referendum; Rabat has unilaterally scuttled the cease-fire agreement and the Houston accords; Rabat has stated that it will no longer even discuss the referendum if independence is an option. The Polisario quickly and emphatically rejected the King's recent autonomy talk. It seems to me that the Polisario, by signing on to the Baker 2 Plan (which is heavily stacked in Morocco's favor), has given all that they can realistically give. The optimism of the period after the 1991 cease-fire agreement is long gone. The Polisario realizes now that Rabat NEVER negotiated in good faith. Why in the world should the Polisario go back to the negotiating table after all previous negotiations, discussions, and agreements came to naught because of Rabat's lying, obstruction, intransigeance, and duplicity. No Ms Durant,the days for dialogue are over. Rabat has made sure that there is nothing left to discuss.
Salam Chasli,
Once again, thank you for your posts. I appreciate our views differ on this issue, but I am always interested in hearing your side of this troublesome story.
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