UN Chief Has Been Clear in Referring to All Parties Involved in Moroccan Sahara Conflict, Expert Says
In a statement to RIM Radio, MAP's news radio station, Aqartit stressed that "Guterres spoke at the press conference he held Friday, about the parties to the conflict using the plural form [...], in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2602, which clearly identifies the parties involved in this dispute, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the polisario."
Guterres' statement cannot contradict the resolution of the Security Council and the UN, the expert stressed, noting that this press briefing takes place following the UN chief's personal envoy's visit to the region, during which he met with officials from the four parties concerned.
This visit comes in implementation of Resolution 2602 which clearly establishes the responsibility of Algeria as the main party in this regional dispute, he said.
In the same context, Aqartit said that the news story published by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which referred to Guterres' call as if directed only to Morocco and the polisario, was not "professional. It contains falsified facts and distorts the words of the Secretary-General."
According to him, this is a "new slip of the French agency; a practice that has previously been resorted to, especially when it comes to Morocco."
In this regard, he said that "this agency, which is not at its first slip of this kind, should have reported what was said by the UN Secretary General, with professionalism and honesty."
The French news agency, by its position and its attempt to exclude Algeria from the statement of the UN Secretary General, is clearly biased in favor of the Algerian anti-Moroccan agenda, and violates journalistic work and professional ethics in general, he concluded.
Guterres' statement cannot contradict the resolution of the Security Council and the UN, the expert stressed, noting that this press briefing takes place following the UN chief's personal envoy's visit to the region, during which he met with officials from the four parties concerned.
This visit comes in implementation of Resolution 2602 which clearly establishes the responsibility of Algeria as the main party in this regional dispute, he said.
In the same context, Aqartit said that the news story published by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which referred to Guterres' call as if directed only to Morocco and the polisario, was not "professional. It contains falsified facts and distorts the words of the Secretary-General."
According to him, this is a "new slip of the French agency; a practice that has previously been resorted to, especially when it comes to Morocco."
In this regard, he said that "this agency, which is not at its first slip of this kind, should have reported what was said by the UN Secretary General, with professionalism and honesty."
The French news agency, by its position and its attempt to exclude Algeria from the statement of the UN Secretary General, is clearly biased in favor of the Algerian anti-Moroccan agenda, and violates journalistic work and professional ethics in general, he concluded.
The Moroccan expert in international relations, Lahcen Aqartit, said that the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has been clear in talking about all parties involved in the artificial conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.