Algeria’s frantic diplomatic activity ahead of the UN Security Council vote on the Sahara issue underscores a growing sense of vulnerability as international consensus builds up around Morocco’s autonomy plan.
Belgium and Poland have become the latest EU nations to back Morocco’s autonomy plan ahead of the UN vote,amid signals from Washington of an upcoming peace deal between Rabat and Algiers.
At the same time,the Polisario Front- Algeria’s proxy- appears increasingly disoriented,vindicating the Moroccan position that negotiations should be with its mentor Algeria.
On October 20,the Polisario sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General outlining an “expanded proposal” for a political solution. The last-minute initiative was vague and arrived just days before the Council is expected to adopt a resolution reaffirming Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole framework for negotiations. Analysts say the timing reflects panic rather than strategy.
Two days later,Algerian authorities staged a press event in Algiers to amplify the Polisario’s message. Mohamed Yeslam Beissat,the separatist militias’ foreign affairs representative,repeated familiar slogans rejecting “imposed solutions” and accusing international powers of bias.
His remarks,however,revealed contradictions: while calling for dialogue,he dismissed the very framework endorsed by the international community. Beissat’s history of undiplomatic outbursts- such as his tirade against Morocco during an African Union meeting in Johannesburg- further undermines the Polisario’s image as a serious interlocutor.
The upcoming resolution,backed strongly by Washington,is expected to pave the way for negotiations involving Morocco,Algeria,Mauritania,and the Polisario,on the basis of Morocco’s autonomy proposal only.
US officials have signaled readiness to facilitate Morocco-Algeria peace within 60 days,a timeline that leaves Algeria little room to maneuver.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has vowed unwavering support for the Polisario,but this posture increasingly looks like denial. As global support consolidates behind Morocco’s plan,Algeria faces the prospect of direct engagement,a scenario it has long sought to avoid by outsourcing the conflict to its proxy.
United News - unews.co.za