Algeria tells Morocco, ‘Mutual recognition between occupiers is useless’

Women carrying Saharan flags and dressed in Malahfas take part in a demonstration to demand the end of Morocco’s occupation in Western Sahara, in support of the Polisario Front and to demand solutions from the Spanish government in San Sebastian, Spain. [Gari Garaialde/Getty Images]

Algeria’s Minister of Communication has criticised Morocco for normalising relations with Israel by insisting that, “Mutual recognition between occupiers is useless and will not stand up to the will of the people.”

Ammar Belhimer made his comments in an interview with Al-Khabar Press published by the official Algerian News Agency.

“The trade-off that includes the outgoing US President Donald Trump recognising Morocco’s colonisation of Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco’s recognition of the colonisation of Palestinian lands by the Zionist entity… is useless given the indomitable will of the people to break the chains of occupation and tyranny.”

READ: US adopts new map of Morocco that includes Western Sahara

Belhimer confirmed that, “in principle”, Algeria does not interfere in the internal affairs of other states. “[Nevertheless,] Algeria supports the right of people to determine their fate, given that the issue of Western Sahara remains an issue of decolonisation, and that the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a founding member state of the African Union.”

He added that the Saharawi cities, especially Laayoune, are under royal Moroccan colonialism.

Last week, Morocco became the fourth Arab League member to normalise relations with the occupation state of Israel since August, following in the footsteps of the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.

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