The scene took place on Friday, August 23 in Japan, during the preparatory meeting for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). Several videos, widely shared on social networks, show a representative of the Moroccan delegation rushing to a table to try to tear off a sign that read “Sahrawi Republic”. As the occupant of the table tried to intervene, an Algerian diplomat came to his aid, grabbed his Moroccan counterpart and violently pushed him to the ground.
This episode once again demonstrates the centrality of the Western Sahara issue in North African relations. The region, considered a non-autonomous territory by the UN, is claimed by Morocco, which is facing the independence movement of the Polisario Front.
According to Moroccan media, the incident was caused by the arrival of a delegate from Western Sahara – not recognized by Japan – at the meeting, who placed the famous “Sahrawi Republic” sign on the table. The news site The Desk claims that Lamine Baali, “a member of the Polisario, was introduced by Algeria, without being officially invited by Japan.” It was Algeria, a historic supporter of the independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which provided Baali with the necessary accreditations to access this diplomatic summit.
“Assault”
The Moroccan media also reports that Fukazawa Yoichi, Japanese Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, indicated without naming him, that the presence of the Polisario in Tokyo “Yes [changeait] in no way does this reflect Japan’s position.” The Japanese official explained that only countries recognized by the United Nations were officially invited to the TICAD preparatory meeting.
In its correspondence and relations with Morocco, Japan refers cautiously to the autonomy plan presented by Morocco and refrains from any recognition of any Sahrawi Republic, specifies the Moroccan information site. Medias24. “Japan welcomes the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco to move towards a settlement of this issue as expressed in the relevant Security Council resolutions,” This is what the Japanese ambassador to Morocco, Hideaki Kuramitsu, wrote in a message addressed to the Moroccan sovereign on July 30 on the occasion of the Throne Day.
The event is analyzed very differently by the Algerian media. The site TSA-All about Algeria speaks of this fight as the“Attack on a Sahrawi diplomat”The site believes that the Moroccans’ sole objective was to obtain the exclusion of the Sahrawi Republic from TICAD. “In Tokyo, Morocco suffered a humiliating defeat, since the Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs was able to participate in the Ticad conference with full prerogatives alongside his African counterparts. Better still, the Sahrawi minister benefited from personal protection provided by the host country.”
Related News :