The Brahim Ghali case: clarifica

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Denmark observes with concern the developments related to Mr. Ibrahim Ghali, namely his admission to Spanish territory under a false identity (under the name of “Mohammed Ben Bettouch”) and a false passport on April 17, 2021, at the express request of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Indeed, Mr. Ghali, a separatist who has declared war on Morocco, has been admitted by Spain while various complaints have been filed against him for acts of exceptional gravity: war crimes, torture, voluntary disappearances, rape and terrorism, represents a dangerous precedent in bilateral relations between Morocco and Spain.

Several victims’ associations have stood up and denounced the decision of Spain to allow Mr. Ghali to enter illegally in the Spanish territory. Among them are the Saharawi Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADEDH) and the Canarian Association of Victims of Terrorism (Acavite), which brings together the relatives of more than 300 victims of Polisario militias attacks which targeted “Cruz del Mar” and “Mencey de Abona” during the 1970s and 1980s in the area between the Sahara and the Canary Islands.

At the same time, there are many attempts to instrumentalize the recent incidents in Ceuta, reducing the current crisis to an issue of irregular migration and border management.

This media manipulation against Morocco has the primary objective of diverting the attention of public opinion from the seriousness of the events in Spain. It is well known that Morocco takes its responsibilities in terms of migration management with transparency and seriousness. This commitment is part of a global partnership with the European Union in the fight against illegal immigration.

The effective results achieved by Morocco in this framework have always earned it esteem and recognition from partners, including the EU. Morocco has aborted 13,000 irregular immigration attempts since 2017, dismantled 4,163 trafficking networks and foiled 48 attempted assaults on Ceuta.

Meanwhile, Morocco maintains its proposal for an autonomy plan under the auspices of the UN.

It is essential here to recall certain facts known to all.

Since 2007, the 16 resolutions of the UN Security Council have all supported the Moroccan approach by emphasizing the preeminence of its initiative, its seriousness and credibility.

In 2008 Mr. Peter Van Walsum, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General and facilitator for the first four rounds of UN negotiations, explicitly stated, “That an independent Sahara is not an achievable objective”. He urged the Security Council to pursue the only achievable political compromise solution, namely autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

Statistics show that 163 countries, representing 85% of the UN member states, do not recognize the “Polisario front”.

The relevance of this autonomy plan is such that it has been supported by an overwhelming majority of African countries as well as countries from other continents. It remains the only proposal on the table.

Furthermore, the American proclamation recognizing the full and entire sovereignty of Morocco on its Saharan provinces does not only represent a historic achievement but equally a diplomatic synergy emphasizing the legitimacies of the protection and preservation of a united and federated Morocco at an international level.

Several countries opened their Consulates General in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla, recognizing therefore, in a clear manner, the Moroccan Sahara.

Today modernization, industrialization and economic integration are the driving forces of the outstanding development process unfolding in the Southern region. Indeed, Morocco has made tireless and unconditional efforts, in recent decades, to promote the local economy, consolidate social cohesion and fight against poverty.

Numerous new initiatives and mega projects have emerged in the region, always with the same perspective of promoting modernity and local development. Today, the landscape of the southern provinces has changed significantly thanks to, among other things, the establishment of roads, electrification units, the construction of airports, new housing structures, the expansion of educational networks and the building of a seawater desalination unit.

For every 1$ extracted from the region, the central government of Morocco has reinvested 7$.

There is no doubt that Morocco's efforts to restore peace and prosperity in the Sahara region will not be in vain. Morocco will continue to reaffirm its sovereignty over this territory and to ensure the well-being and good citizenship of its inhabitants.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco