Moroccan Ambassador Omar Hilal addressed allegations from his Algerian counterpart Amr Ben Jamaa before the United Nations Security Council, officially accusing him of distorting the facts regarding the issue of Western Sahara and exploiting the topic of forced displacement to promote political fallacies. The letter directed to the presidency and members of the Council revealed what Hilal described as Algeria’s repeated misuse of the UN platform to mislead international opinion.
The Moroccan ambassador asserted that Algeria attempts to impose a false narrative about the inhabitants of the Tindouf camps, presenting counter-data showing that they have been held for decades, deprived of their basic rights, particularly the freedom of movement and voluntary return to Morocco. He pointed out that Algeria does not fulfill its obligations as a host country, instead delegating the management of these camps to the Polisario Front, in clear violation of international law and UN resolutions.
Hilal also refuted what he termed Algerian claims of “occupation” of the Sahara, reminding that the Madrid Agreements of 1975 ended colonial presence, and that the UN included these agreements in its official documents. He noted that the Security Council addresses the conflict under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, indicating that it is a regional political dispute free from colonial implications.
The Moroccan message highlighted Algeria’s refusal to allow for a census of the Tindouf camps’ residents, despite repeated calls from the Security Council since 2011. Hilal argued that the absence of this census opens the door for the misappropriation of humanitarian aid, a claim documented in reports from European and UN oversight bodies.
Hilal deemed Algeria’s call for a sustainable solution to be devoid of substance, clarifying that it refuses to engage in the political process led by the Security Council through roundtable meetings. He affirmed that the only realistic solution is the Moroccan autonomy initiative, supported by over a hundred countries and described by the Security Council as serious and credible for the past 18 years.
He also pointed out that repeated talk of organizing a referendum has no basis in UN resolutions for more than two decades, having been definitively surpassed by decisions from the Security Council and the General Assembly.
The Moroccan ambassador stressed that Algeria continues to intervene directly in this dispute, despite claiming neutrality, and continues to fund and support the Polisario Front both politically and logistically. He concluded by asserting that his message would be officially documented in the UN records, while the High Commissioner for Refugees ignored any reference to the Algerian intervention in his speech, a stance interpreted as an indirect disavowal of its content.
