Two Moroccan establishments announced on Sunday the cancellation of their participation in sports tournaments in Tunisia, following a crisis between the two countries after President Kais Saied received the leader of the Polisario Front, Ibrahim Ghali.
In a statement viewed by Anadolu Agency, the Moroccan Karate Federation said that it “cancelled its participation in the North Africa Karate Championship, which will be held between 7 and 11 September in Tunisia,” without explaining the reason for the cancellation.
Similarly, the CODM Women’s Basketball Club confirmed in a statement “the cancellation of its participation in the Arab Championship for Women’s Clubs organised in the Tunisian city of Nabeul from next 20 to 28 September,” without mentioning the reason.
READ: Morocco, Tunisia recall envoys over Western Sahara row
On Saturday, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said that the Tunisian authorities’ statement about receiving the leader of the Polisario Front, Ibrahim Ghali, “has not removed the ambiguity surrounding the Tunisian position, but rather contributed to its deepening.”
On Friday, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Tunisia, Hassan Tarek, as a result of Saied’s reception of the leader of the Polisario Front. Morocco considered through a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a “dangerous and unprecedented act.”
In response, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry expressed its deep astonishment with the statement by the Kingdom of Morocco and the unacceptable prejudice displayed against the Republic of Tunisia, as well as the fallacies concerning the Polisario participation in the summit.
The statement stressed that Tunisia “maintained its complete neutrality in the issue … in compliance with international legitimacy, which is a consistent position that will not change until the concerned parties reach a peaceful solution accepted by all.”
The statement pointed out that “Tunisia respected all the procedures for hosting the summit in accord with the African legal references, and declared its commitment to its friendly, fraternal and historical relations with the Moroccan people.”
On its part, Rabat insists on its right to the Sahara region and proposes, as a solution, an expanded autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Algerian-backed Polisario Front demands holding a referendum to determine the region’s destiny.
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