Morocco establishes agency to develop 'Southern provinces'

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday April 11, 2003 21:16 by Sahrawis feel stabbed by UN

Southern Sahara has been occupied for 28 years

During a cabinet meeting yesterday, Morocco's King Mohamed VI yesterday approved a series of projects, among these the creation of an agency for the development of the "Southern provinces", or Western Sahara, according to international terminology. The Polisario Front already has labelled this an "act of colonisation". Morocco's "Southern provinces" concur with the ex-colony Spanish Sahara, which was occupied by Morocco in 1975. The Polisario Front has fought for Sahara's independence ever since. Morocco's integration of the territory is not recognised internationally and the UN demands a referendum among the territory's original population to establish whether it should become independent or Morocco's southern province.

King Mohamed VI, however, accompanied by the Moroccan heir to the throne, Prince Mulay Rachid, presided over yesterday's cabinet meeting in the Royal Palace of Tétouan, deciding to promote the further integration of the territory into Morocco. According to the Moroccan news agency MAP - which is close to the Royal family - the cabinet meeting approved of a series of measures destined to development these "Southern provinces".

The Sovereign, according a statement by the official spokesman of the Royal Palace, Hassan Aourid, had given instructions to the government to take any urgent and necessary measures for the creation from the denominated Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces, along with the creation of the so-called Instance in Charge of the Economic Mediterranean Harbour Complex of Tangier.

These measures were to be "in accordance with the general royal direction given in the last throne speech from the Throne, including what is demanded of urgency legislative procedure for the elaboration of these two decreed projects in this sense, and its presentation for adoption to the next Cabinet meeting and special approval by parliamentary commissions."

King Mohammed VI first ordered the establishment of the controversial agency during a visit in La'ayounne - the Moroccan capital of the occupied territories - on 6 March this year. The King at that time outlined the efforts of the agency, saying it should equip the territory "with basic infrastructure and equipment in terms of roads, ports, housing, electrification and drinking water supply, and also in order to enable these regions to achieve their social development."

The authorisation to create this "Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces" has already been criticised by the Polisario Front. In declarations to 'Europa Press', Brahim Gali, representative of the Polisario Front in Spain, explained that this new development agency for Western Sahara "is nothing more than a colonial formula that does not deceive anybody." He further went on announcing the intention of Sahrawis to boycott the agency's works and other initiatives proposed by Morocco.

Polisario Front earlier had warned against making Western Sahara an economic issue. The liberation movement accuses Morocco of wanting to plunder Sahrawi resources, including phosphorous, fish stocks, and offshore oil. These were the real reasons behind the agency, Polisario claims.