symbolic fusion of English and Moroccan flags
The Cabinet plácet the new Moroccan ambassador to Spain shows the lack of consistency and English weakness in its relations with Rabat, but also a clear illustration of the collusion between Moratinos and the government of Morocco in the Sahara issue.
adding fuel to the fire: the new Moroccan ambassador to Madrid
In April 2010 the Moroccan government announced the appointment of its new ambassador to Spain, the Saharawi defector Ahmed Ould Omar Souilem Aziman replacing. The latter left Madrid January, weeks after bilateral crisis prompted by the expulsion of Ms, to assume the chairmanship of the Advisory Committee for Advanced regionalization, an authority which is proposing a draft administrative decentralization also assume some form of recognition identity diversity of the country. No one is aware that this new phase of debate on the organization and the very definition of country is spurred largely by the question of Western Sahara. Ahmed Ould
Souilem (Dakhla, 1951), son of Abdallah Ould Souilem former mayor of Villa Cisneros and solicitor in the courts Franco joined the Polisario Front in 1975 and over more than three decades held high in the SADR, to be ambassador to several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, responsible for relations with the Sahrawi communities in Mauritania and in recent years in charge of relations with Arab countries, with the rank of counselor to the president (1). In July 2009 left the SADR, spent the Moroccan side and immediately loaned the propaganda game by giving press interviews and participating in television programs that made its way right and left, repeating the official line flatter Rabat (2 .)
Some commentators have argued that the defection was Souilem Ould disagreements with the leadership of the Polisario Front in the last congress (3). The turncoat can respond to an ideological shift as the fatigue and transfer to the siren song of Rabat. Ould Souilem, son of the Saharawi naming the colonial period and looking like an outstanding personality of the majority tribe Delimit Ulad Dakhla area and the region of Oued ed-Dahab (Rio de Oro), resigned from the commitment to his people and left tempted by the promise of honor and good life in Morocco.
Souilem Ould's appointment as ambassador to Madrid has surprised analysts and has led to unease among many English politicians and diplomats. Several critical notes to this provocation Rabat circulated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So it was told informally by various routes to the Moroccan government, but at the insistence of Rabat has been the Minister Moratinos who has put more effort to give the required placet. Nobody is convincing arguments to explain the decision of the minister or rather this genuflection to the decision of Mohamed VI. The discomfort is widespread even among friends Moroccan establishment and among the leading figures of pro-Moroccan lobby English, since the designation Ould Souilem is a disaster even for them. In a country like Spain, civil society has a very sensitive to the issue of Western Sahara, designate this person is adding fuel to the fire. The confrontation will inevitably be social with the Moroccan diplomatic representation will be more difficult to wash the face of Morocco in these circumstances.
Rabat provocation does not stop there, the placet was given two months ago but the new ambassador has not yet been built. Ould Souilem has participated in a tour organized by the United States pro-Moroccan lobby to try to influence Congress and the United Nations.
Souilem ould not be a Moroccan ambassador, is a simple piece of war propaganda in a major Moroccan embassies in Europe. Policy makers and the Moroccan diplomacy can not trust him. Morocco does not know, nor its political system. Can have no initiative and only make foreign ministry spokesman, and the king. Nor will to Moroccans in Spain, a community that does not look like yours. Nor can help improve the English-Moroccan relations, and will only help to tighten them further. The work done by Omar Azziman, an ambassador intelligent, educated, well versed in the English and with a long in defense of human rights in Morocco, blithely squandered " saharauizando " all the English-Moroccan relations.
The background to the play
Successive English governments have fully endorsed the Moroccan address the risks of destabilization of the Alawite monarchy: migration, drug trafficking, political interference ... and have been blinded by the supposed potential of economic relations with its southern neighbor. Morocco has achieved thus imperative to join the European Union and shield.
two decades Morocco sells an alleged political reform and political transition. But progress is limited and numerous setbacks in development of fundamental rights, etc.. And despite this, the EU and reward allies with particularly close ties to Morocco (Advanced Status) and immunity especially with regard to the Sahara issue.
But despite this, relations with Spain are not fluent. The tensions and mistrust are permanent. Blackmails Rabat and Madrid, conscious of the authoritarian and despotic nature of his ally, attempts to manage the situation so as not to lose the advantages.
In its relations with Morocco, the various English governments have always assumed containment (waive any requirement) that puts them in a position of weakness. It's amazing to see how it is left to do, without putting limits and with little response. The list is long: Rabat seeks at all cost control or influence in the mosques, seeking to intervene in immigrant organizations (avoiding a full integration and discourage the possibility of naturalization English), use the Arabic language classes in public schools the sons and daughters of Moroccan immigrants to preach "national spirit Moroccan (4)", etc. And while it adds a significant financial commitment (Morocco is the first Arab recipient development cooperation) and a political gesture to please the Moroccan king and his court.
Going to Spain, Ould Souilem designation is a response to the outcome of the case Aminatour Haidar. With the expulsion of Moroccan Sahrawi activist put in an awkward and very sensitive to the English government. The matter was resolved through negotiation with the United States and France, whose terms were not disclosed, but obviously had a political cost to Madrid and especially for Rabat: Authorities desdijeron and accepted the return of A. Haidar aware that would mean a strengthening of the defense Saharawi occupied areas. Immediately, the debate has intensified in Morocco on the proposal for Western Sahara autonomy within the process of "regionalization advanced" to Morocco.
Now, the appointment of an ambassador propagandist, not political, is the Moroccan reply to toad had to swallow in December 2009 and another example of give and take with Madrid.
Furthermore, the sending of this ambassador is inserted into the current status of Saharawi dossier. In recent years, Morocco has committed to permanently bury any chance of resolving the conflict in the Sahara with the parameters set in the Plan settlement agreed by the parties under the UN auspices and which involved a query of the Saharawi people about their future, according to the right of self-determination as recognized in international law. Since then, its commitment has been to impose international recognition of the Moroccan Sahara, an issue that has failed (5). Their strategy has been to try to get the U.S., France and Spain (6) help to impose its plan for autonomy within Morocco. In recent years this approach was supported by the Bush administration, France, Spain and even the former personal envoy of UN SG Peter Van Walsum.
Polisario neutralized this proposal until the appointment of the new envoy Christopher Ross and the arrival of Obama's Capitol Hill have introduced some changes in the correlation of forces. The human rights situation in the occupied areas, the intransigence of Morocco in the last rounds of negotiations in Manhasset and Armonk at the time to develop alternative options, a new U.S. geopolitical focus on the African continent with more attention to Algeria, South Africa Nigeria, the poor reception of Ross on his last trip to Morocco .. have been other elements that have made a dent in the U.S.. Although this is not a radical, Washington is taking some distance from Rabat and has some meaningful gestures (7). In this context
Paris and Madrid have become the latest supporters of the strategy of Rabat, while voices are being raised increasingly critical of this position in Northern Europe. Recently the French government has kept extending the mandate of MINURSO in monitoring human rights in the occupied areas. The acceptance of a propagandist as an ambassador is the highest stage blatant and this support from Moratinos, deaf to their environment and allowing the remaining bilateral issues from being corrupted by this blind support. To the Saharawi, this step illustrates the lack of independence when making decisions and accepting the blackmail of Rabat, Moratinos definitely aligned with the Moroccan occupying Madrid exclude yourself from any multilateral initiative for political resolution of the conflict.
After speeches by the English-Moroccan friendship, in fact the English governments, both right and the PSOE have only been interested in doing business with its southern neighbor and to have an effective partner in making police on migration, drug trafficking and control of potential security risks, even at the cost of an autocracy shore trying to sell a few cosmetic advances while perpetuating human rights violations and people still have social and economic indicators lower Maghreb. No English government has actually committed to contributing to a real democratization of Morocco all have preferred a stable authoritarian regime that any political change with an uncertain outcome. However, it is obvious that the resolution of the question of Western Sahara and a future of peace and coexistence in the region are inextricably linked to the democratization of Morocco. And this does not help the current English government.
