Spain's reversal in favor of Morocco's position on Western Sahara is "morally and historically unacceptable", Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Saturday (April 23rd).
In an interview with national media, Abdelmadjid Tebboune denounced the announcement on March 18 by the Spanish government of its support for a Moroccan autonomy plan, breaking with the traditional position of neutrality of the former colonial power.
"We have very strong ties with the Spanish state but the head of government (Pedro Sanchez, editor's note) broke everything," added the Algerian head of state.
Pedro Sanchez called the Moroccan plan "the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving this dispute".
Denouncing a "turnaround" by Spain, Algiers recalled its ambassador to Spain on March 19 and demanded "clarifications" before any possible return of its representative to Madrid.
The conflict in this vast desert area, bordered by fish-filled waters and with a rich mining subsoil, considered a "non-autonomous territory" by the UN, has for decades pitted Morocco against the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers. .
Rabat, which controls nearly 80% of Western Sahara, is proposing an autonomy plan under its sovereignty while the Polisario is calling for a self-determination referendum, planned by the UN when a ceasefire was signed in 1991. fire, but never materialized.
"The UN considers that Spain is the administering power as long as there is no solution in Western Sahara", continued Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Algeria demands "the application of international law".
"Spain must not renounce its historical responsibility and must revise its position", he added.
>> To read also: Western Sahara: the origins of the crisis between Spain and Morocco
President Tebboune, however, stressed that Algeria would "never renounce its commitments to ensure the supply of gas to Spain whatever the circumstances".
Spain is very dependent on Algeria for its gas supplies.
At the beginning of April, the Algerian public oil and gas group Sonatrach had mentioned an increase in the price of gas delivered to Spain, due to the surge recorded on the markets under the effect of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The CEO of Sonatrach Toufik Hakkar had then indicated to the official agency APS that it was "not excluded to carry out a 'recalculation' of prices with our Spanish client".
With AFP
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