Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Diplomatic Dispute topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Morocco and Algeria trade accusations at UN over Western Sahara; debate turns personal in right‑of‑reply
Summary
During the right‑of‑reply phase Morocco accused Algeria of supporting the Polisario Front and harboring militants; Algeria reiterated support for Sahrawi self‑determination and called for a referendum. The exchange prolonged the debate and drew interventions from other member states.
A prolonged right‑of‑reply exchange in the General Assembly saw the Representative of Morocco and the Representative of Algeria make mutually hostile allegations about the Western Sahara dispute and each other’s regional conduct.
The Moroccan speaker accused Algeria of financing and hosting the Polisario Front, saying Algeria ‘‘train[s] the spectators of the Polisario Front’’ and arguing that Algeria’s actions fuel insecurity in the Sahel and Sahara. In response, Algeria’s representative rejected Morocco’s characterizations, recalled the UN process (including MINURSO) and called for a referendum giving the Sahrawi people the right to self‑determination.
Both delegations invoked legal and historical claims. Algeria reiterated that it ‘‘aspires to put an end to colonization’’ of Western Sahara and pledged support for the Sahrawi people’s inalienable rights; Morocco countered that development and diplomatic recognition in the Sahara (including consulates and infrastructure projects) reflect the territory’s integration.
Several interventions followed from other delegations, and the exchange exemplified how the general debate’s right‑of‑reply period can become an arena for bilateral disputes to be aired publicly. The Assembly did not take any binding decision on the matter at this plenary; the back‑and‑forth ended when the President moved to conclude consideration of the agenda item.
