afrol News, 21 May

- According to press reports in Spain, the government and army of
Morocco are making preparations for a military attack on the
territories controlled by Western Sahara's Polisario Front since a UN-
brokered ceasefire in 1991. The alleged "preparations" are to be a
reaction to the increased civilian activities by Polisario in
its "liberated territories".

The Spanish electronic daily 'El Imparcial' reports that Moroccan
King Mohamed VI and his army are supervising several military
preparations that probably aim to enable the Moroccan Army to conquer
the Sahrawi liberated territories. These territories, separated from
Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara by a mined wall, are controlled by
Polisario and its exiled Sahrawi government.

The paper claims that many intelligence services had noticed Moroccan
military movements that could be considered preparations for a new
military adventure. Fighting between Morocco and Polisario started in
1976, with the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, and ended with
a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. Around one third of mostly
uninhabited Saharawi lands - the interior part bordering Algeria and
Mauritania - were left on Polisario's hands.

UN peacekeepers and diplomats have noted a growing irritation among
Moroccan leaders over Polisario's increased use of its "liberated
territories". Polisario is based in the Algerian refugee camps, where
most of the Sahrawi population has lived since the late 1970s.

Lately, however, Polisario has started holding many political and
media meetings in Tifariti, the only town in the liberated
territories, which was deserted after Moroccan chemical weapon
attacks in the late 1980s. At this moment, Polisario is organising
large celebrations of its 35th anniversary in Tifariti, including
many international guests. These celebrations have strongly provoked
Moroccan officials.

According to reports in 'El Imparcial', the Rabat government had
started war preparations by pensioning off 30 Islamist officers that
may constitute a hinder for such operations. Further, it had deployed
troops in the south of Morocco that would be ready to comply with the
order of crossing the borders.

The paper claims to have information saying that, when Morocco has
conquered these new territories, a new wall would be raised on the
international borders between Sahara, Algeria and Mauritania. In this
way, Sahrawis would be confined to the refugee camps in the Algerian
desert.

Needless to say, such an attack would trigger fighting between
Moroccan troops and Polisario. It could also involve troops from
Algeria, Polisario's principal ally, which would be unwilling to let
the balance of power in the region tip towards archrival Morocco. UN
peacekeepers stationed in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara would not
have a mandate to take measures. An attack would mean the end of the
1991 ceasefire and would probably lead to a withdrawal of the UN
mission altogether.

The reports in 'El Imparcial' could not be confirmed by other
sources, but speculations of this kind are not unique.

Lately speculations about an end to the ceasefire have steadily
increased. Both Morocco and Polisario are increasingly frustrated
about the status quo. Polisario has been promised a referendum over
independence since 1991, but Moroccan hardliner policies by now have
squashed all hopes of such a solution. Moroccan authorities have
become clearer and clearer on their rejection of the 1991 peace
terms, and negotiated solutions increasingly seem impossible.

Both sides therefore have increasingly turned to war rhetoric,
indicating that war preparations indeed may be going on.

By staff writer

© afrol News