Europe is urged to support the resolution of the Moroccan Western Sahara issue to avoid any destabilization in the southern part of the continent.
Alalam24, The widely circulated Belgian newspaper “De Tjid” has called on European countries to strengthen their relations with Morocco and work towards resolving the Western Sahara issue to thwart “catastrophic schemes” resulting from a “treacherous” collaboration between certain parties in what it described as the “new axis of chaos” that could destabilize the region and pose a “direct threat to security in Europe.”
In an opinion article by political expert Fouad Ghandour, the newspaper specializing in economics asserts that “developments in Algeria have taken a direction that leaves no room for any diplomatic ambiguity,” emphasizing that “Europe is now required to choose between a policy based on short-term calculations that ensure its gas supply or adhering to the fundamental principles that guarantee long-term stability and security in Europe and North Africa.”
The writer highlights that “since 2017, Morocco has faced a real threat through Hezbollah, the armed wing of Iran, which enjoys support from Algeria, considered a close ally and strategic partner of Russia in Africa,” noting that the separatist Polisario militias receive training from Hezbollah operatives and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
He further adds that these militias benefit from arms smuggling, irregular migration, and destructive military activities in the Sahel region, in collaboration with international terrorist organizations, affirming that “this situation undermines stability in North Africa and poses a direct threat to security in Europe.”
The article also states that the European Union and the United States are increasingly concerned about the growing close relations between Algeria, Russia, and Iran, as well as their military ambitions in Africa. The writer, relying on diverse sources, asserts that “the military establishment in Algeria seeks, with the help of Iran, to facilitate the establishment of Russian military bases in the coastal region.”
The political expert believes that this “treacherous” collaboration between certain parties, forming what he describes as the “new axis of chaos,” represents a “direct threat” to Europe. He emphasizes that “the time has come to work in a coordinated and robust manner to foil the catastrophic schemes of Russia, Iran, and Algeria in Africa.”
In advocating for strengthening relations with “Morocco, the only stable and pro-Western state in North Africa,” as Spain has done, the article’s author confirms that “the beginning lies in resolving the Western Sahara issue.”
In this regard, he refers to recent statements by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in Paris, affirming that Morocco was the only party with the necessary authority over the Western Sahara when Spain left these territories in 1975, ending its colonization.
The political expert also highlights the recent wave of supportive positions for the Moroccan stance, particularly that of the United States, which recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and considers the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only realistic and credible solution to the regional conflict. He adds that this plan is also supported by Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
The article’s author points out that experts from the Spanish Institute for Governance and Applied Economics also see the Moroccan autonomy plan as a means to achieve stability in the region, and they call on other member states of the European Union to support this plan in order to strengthen both shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
