The latest statements made by Ali Belhadj, the number 2 of the FIS, about the Algerian government’s role in maintaining the tension with Morocco on the Sahara issue, have seriously embarrassed the Algerian politicians as well as the generals. For Algiers, the appearance of Ali Belhadj comes in an unwanted time. Especially that Algeria is currently blamed by international NGOs on the arrest of the Polisario dissident, Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, who had defended the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara.
For the FIS co-founder, Algeria has no right, neither politically nor from the point of view of rights, to be opposed to Morocco on the Sahara issue. By simply ignoring the pretext put forward by Algeria regarding the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, Ali Belhadj has denounced the cynicism of Algiers’ leaders who deny this very right to the Algerian people.
The Islamist leader has particularly criticized the last international meeting held in Algiers to support the Sahrawi cause. The organization by the Algerian Committee for Solidarity with the Sahrawi people of such an event, triggers questions about its funding sources, as he doubtfully insisted. “Why didn’t this Committee organize a symposium on the confiscation of the popular will in Algeria? Or on the Algerian political personalities banned from speech? Is the Western Sahara more important than Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan? “, said outraged the FIS historical leader.
The “Algerian authority that deprived the Algerian people from its right to self-determination and violates everyday human rights, is absolutely not qualified to defend the Western Sahara right to self-determination,” said Ali Belhadj. He also denounced the senseless arms race in which the Algerian generals are involved, and which, besides establishing the division of the Maghreb countries, constitutes a real threat to security in the region.
