United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply condemned the Polisario severe and unjustifiable restrictions on MINURSO after its unilateral withdrawal from the ceasefire in his report to the Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara issue.

The “Polisario” is criticized in the report for obstructing (MINURSO capacity)’s to carry out its major job of supervising the ceasefire and monitoring the militias of this armed group, as well as the situation on the ground.

Mr. Guterres called the Security Council’s attention to the fact that his Special Representative and MINURSO Head have consistently criticized these limits.

Despite these protests, the “Polisario” continued to impose severe restrictions on MINURSO’s freedom of movement, preventing it from carrying out logistical and other maintenance tasks, affecting equipment repair and maintenance, as well as the supply of fuel and food to the UN Mission, forcing the situation (MINURSO) to reduce the number of its military obsessives.

The separatist movement was also urged by the United Nations Secretary-General to “immediately lift all restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of land convoys, air transport, and (MINURSO) personnel located in the east of the defense system, as well as to allow freedom of movement for logistics and maintenance.”

The post United Nations Secretary-General  criticizes “Polisario” for putting barriers to the activation of (MINURSO) mandate appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya reiterated, yesterday, Sunday, her country’s desire to end the diplomatic crisis with Morocco which has erupted following Spain’s reception of Polisario leader, Brahim Ghali, secretly and under a false identity.

In a press statement, the Spanish minister explained, “A month ago, we entered a crisis that we absolutely did not want and from which we clearly want to get out as quickly as possible. We will create a space of trust in which relations can be redirected.”

“This requires a great deal of caution”, added the Minister, without revealing further details.

On the other hand, the Foreign Minister denied that the relationship between Spain and the United States had weakened and defended it as “a very strong relationship, at the political, economic, commercial and diplomatic level.”

In response to a question about whether Spain is considering asking the European Union Agency “Frontex” to join its border control work in the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla, Arancha Gonzalez Laya explained that it is being evaluated whether “it is appropriate to integrate Frontex, at least partially, into third-party monitoring.”

It is noteworthy that Spain previously sought the US’ mediation in resolving the current diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat, where Minister Laya had a phone call with her American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, and informed him that the decision of former US President Donald Trump, who recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, had consequences on Spain.

The post Spanish Foreign Minister On Morocco – Spain Crisis: We Will Create A Space Of Trust In Which Relations Can Be Redirected appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

A judge at the Zaragoza court called on the Spanish army to reveal who allowed Brahim Ghali, leader of the separatist Polisario Front, to enter Spanish territory with falsified documents.

Spanish daily “ABC” indicated that the Head of the 7^th investigating court in Zaragoza, Rafael Lasala, demanded to reveal, in writing, the authority that allowed the landing of the plane on which Brahim Ghali arrived in Spain, and whether the military official who allowed this did so “by order or a prior indication from one or many authorities”.

The daily indicated that the judge wants to know in detail, the chain of command, civilian and military, that intervened in a case that, according to “ABC” deeply affected the Sanchez government and caused a serious diplomatic crisis with Morocco.

The judge’s request, ABC adds, comes after the defense refused to provide the Guardia Civil with the identity with which Ghali and his companions entered Spain, while Rafael Lassala received a report from the Guardia Civil stating that the plane that transported Ghali landed at the Zaragoza air base and not at the airport.

The same reports confirmed that the military authorities informed the Spanish Civil Guard that the arrivals were diplomats without specifying their identities, which allowed them to enter without being checked.

The issue of Brahim Ghali’s entry into Spanish soil with a false identity and without informing Moroccan authorities created a major crisis between Madrid and Rabat, which amounted to the summoning of ambassadors, while Morocco believes that the crisis went beyond merely receiving the separatist leader to losing trust between the two neighbouring countries.

The post Zaragoza Court Judge Calls On Spanish Army To Reveal Who Allowed Ghali To Enter Spain Under A False Identity appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Canary-Sahrawi Forum, a non-governmental association dedicated to nationals from the Moroccan Sahara and Canary Islands, has issued, yesterday Friday, an official statement criticizing the way the Spanish judiciary handled the case of Polisario Leader Brahim Ghali, a war criminal, describing it as “a judicial farce”.

In a statement, the Forum indicates that “what was conveyed by the development of the facts on the day of the hearing was that the defendant Brahim Ghali – alleged violator of both human rights and women’s rights, according to the complaints and accusations collected over the last few years – has been given a shameful red carpet so that he could evade his criminal responsibilities”.

The “Forum Canario-Saharaui” also denounced the Public Prosecutor’s indolence shown in this case, saying such a behavior is “professionally reprehensible”.

“Why didn’t the investigating judge ask Brahim Ghali any questions, and why, given that Ghali refused to answer the prosecutor’s questions, did the prosecutor not carry out a more exhaustive interrogation? ” wonders the Spanish NGO, noting that the Judge, and especially the Prosecutor have “failed to learn their lesson, in a clear neglect of their duties”.

This case “would undoubtedly cause us deep concern, as it would call into question the independence of our judicial system and the separation of powers in our democracy”, underlines the NGO.

On a final note, the Forum criticizes the actions taken by Manuel Ollé, Ghali’s Defence Attorney, and invites him to “reflect on his mockery of the victims involved in these lawsuits, and on his defence against the odds of a man with far more shadows than lights”, noting that Ollé’s statements only prove “the obtuse and unconditional support – all for the cause, including human rights violations – that the Polisario Front traditionally enjoys in Spain, from various spheres”.

The post Forum Canario-Sahraui: Ghali’s Appearance Before Spanish Judiciary, A “Judicial Farce” appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Spanish newspaper “Okdiario” wrote that Brahim Ghali’s stay in Spain for 44 days cost the Algerian treasury more than 100,000 euros (60,000 euros for medical expenses and 40,000 euros for security staff), without adding the costs of transportation and the costs of the accommodation of the accompanying staff in the hotel.

Ghali arrived in Spain on April 18 on an official Algerian plane which the country uses when a member of the Government must be transferred elsewhere due to health complications. The same source notes that “Polisario leader entered Spain through the Zaragoza military air base, where the Gulfstream IV SP jet that brought him landed.”

Ghali’s stay in Spain has led to a serious diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain, but, not only that. Health sources told the Spanish newspaper that the approximate cost of “those 44 days of hospitalization is just over 60,000 euros”, drawn from public accounts.

Okdiario explains that “an ICU for Covid patients costs between 1,400 and 1,500 euros a day”, noting that Covid infections require the use of expensive medications, therefore resulting in an approximate cost of 66,000 euros just in medical expenses.

In addition to the cost of medical care, Ghali’s stay in the hospital has drawn a lot of attention, pushing the Spanish Ministry of the Interior to deploy a large security team to guard the hospital around the clock.

The number of guards was multiplied by Tuesday, the day Ghali appeared, via videoconference, before Judge Santiago Pedraz to account for the various accusations against him. During his statement, “dozens of police officers dressed in plain clothes so as not to raise any suspicions were in the surroundings”, reports the Spanish daily.

Moreover, police sources have confided to Okdiario that providing security for “44 days of Ghali’s stay cost around 40,000 euros only in police security”.

The post 60.000€ For Medical Expenses And 40.000€ For Security… This Is The Cost Of Ghali’s Stay In Spain appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Spanish newspaper “El Mundo” said this evening that Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front, will leave Spain for Algiers, after the investigative judge refused to take precautionary measures against him following his hearing session on Today morning.

According to the same newspaper, Ghali went to Pamplona Airport (Navarra) to take a plane to Algiers.

Euronews quoted the Spanish government as saying that Ghali “planned to leave Spain tonight on a civilian plane from Pamplona Airport” in the north of the country, without specifying the destination of this plane, saying only that it had notified the Moroccan authorities of this matter.

Other media sources indicated that he will complete his anti Covid-19 treatment in Algeria, after spending 54 days in Spain.

The Spanish media had said this morning that a medical plane belonging to the Algerian presidency was planning to transport Polisario leader Brahim Ghali to Algeria, but was prevented from entering Spanish airspace by order of the Spanish army.

The post Polisario Leader On His Way Back To Algeria appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Spanish judiciary has put an end to the controversy that accompanied the entry of the separatist leader Brahim Ghali to Spain, under suspicious circumstances that were characterized in particular by the use of forged documents, which angered Morocco and ignited a diplomatic crisis, given the seriousness of such actions.

The Polisario leader appeared today, Tuesday, before the Spanish National Court, to stand trial via video conference.

The Spanish investigating judge, Santiago Pedraz, officially allowed the leader of the Polisario to leave, at any time, after he refused to impose precautionary measures against him.

According to “El Mundo” newspaper, an Algerian Air Force plane took off early Tuesday morning from Algiers. The newspaper indicated that the plane is still flying over Spanish airspace, waiting to be allowed to land and transport Ghali.

According to the same source, Judge Pedraz’s decision was the only condition for the landing of the Algerian Gulfstream G-IV (SP) plane.

In the details of the Spanish judicial decision, Judge Pedraz agreed upon the request of the Public Prosecutor’s office, that Brahim Ghali “Ben Battouch” would leave his phone number and address in Spain in order to be able to locate him, and refused to confiscate his passport and place him under surveillance, rejecting all requests made by victims of the separatist leader.

According to El Mundo, Pedraz, refused, for the second time, to arrest Brahim Ghali, due to what he considered to be the weakness of the evidence against him, which is also supported by the Public Prosecutor, Pedro Martinez Torrijos.

Pedraz considered that the charges against Ghali are suspicious except for one of them, noting that the statements of the victims in the case are not backed by firm evidence confirming that Ghali is responsible for any crime.

The newspaper quoted that Judge Pedraz concluded that Ghali cannot be subjected to travel bans and imprisonment just for entering Spain illegally.

Pedraz asserts, according to the newspaper, that the risk of Ghali escaping from justice is low, and that the case’s evidence cannot be destroyed.

The post Spanish Judiciary Refuses To Arrest Ghali, An Algerian Plane Is Preparing To Deport Him appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, in a communiqué, today, that the appearance of Brahim Ghali before the Spanish judiciary is definitely a development that Morocco “takes note of”. But, it does not constitute the core of the serious crisis between the two neighboring countries.

This appearance before the judiciary, the communiqué says, comes to reveal the “true face” of the “Polisario”, embodied in a leader who “who has committed heinous crimes, who violates and jeopardizes human rights and sponsors terrorist acts.”

The “root of the problem”, according to the communiqué, is a question of “broken trust between partners”; the essence of the crisis is a question of ulterior motives hostile to the issue of the Sahara, a “sacred cause for the entire Moroccan people”.

On the other hand, this crisis raises the issue of consistency in positions, adds the communiqué, because “you cannot fight separatism inside and encourage it outside”.

Apart from the case of Ghali, the communiqué continues, as this case revealed Spain’s hostile stances and abusive strategies towards the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, and showed our northern neighbor’s collusion with the kingdom’s opponents in order to undermine the territorial integrity of Morocco.

Given this consistency, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs says, “Morocco has never played the card of separatism in its international relations, and especially with its neighbors.”

In this regard, Morocco’s policy towards Spain remains clear. During the Catalan crisis, Morocco did not choose to remain neutral. Rather, it was among the first to stand firmly, clearly and strongly, alongside the territorial integrity and national unity of its northern neighbor, adds the communiqué.

In the same context, the communiqué also indicated that Morocco has always expressed its solidarity with Spain, but of course there are natural difficulties associated with neighborliness, including periodic migration crises. However, these “these difficulties should never make us forget that solidarity is to partnership what reliability is to good neighborliness and what trust is to friendship.”

It is this solidarity, the communiqué adds, that Morocco has always shown towards Spain, and recent history is our witness.

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry wondered how, after all of this, it is possible to talk seriously about threats and blackmail when the statement of His Majesty’s Ambassador is invoked in Spain? “Honesty has never been a threat, and defending positions cannot be equated with blackmail”.

The communiqué concludes by reminding us that “Morocco will remain attached to its natural and genuine bonds of friendship with the Spanish people.”

The post Foreign Ministry On Morocco-Spain Crisis: The Root Of The Problem Is A Question Of Broken Trust Between Partners appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The Spanish “La Razon” revealed an important piece of information hours before the appearance of Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario, before the judge tomorrow, June 1^st, from the hospital in Logrono.

The Spanish daily said that Ghali was an informant serving the police of Franco’s dictatorial regime. He helped them in their operations and received money from them because of the reports he submitted to them between 1971 and 1975; the year in which Morocco reclaimed the Sahara through the Green March.

The daily revealed the number he carried during his work with the Policia Territorial (number 8,360), as well as his Spanish identity card number (DNI B-7248055), which goes to show that Ghali was a holder of Spanish nationality.

The same source said that Ghali was born in 1949 and joined the Spanish police in the sixties, but Spain’ secret services will discover his involvement with the Polisario, which was responsible for kidnapping Spanish agents. This led to him being expelled and placed under surveillance.

The Spanish reports included how Ghali was collecting funds and obtaining weapons to fight the Spaniards, and also talked about how he obtained aid from several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Morocco, but in the reports he says that the Liberation Front will expel the Spaniards, and will also prevent Morocco from recovering the Sahara, with the help of Algeria, “since they had plenty of weapons”.

It is noted that Brahim Ghali is from the Erguibat tribe, Ulad Taleb fraction (subfraction Ulad Ben Lahsen). Reports also indicate that the Spaniards cut their ties with Ghali after the Green March, but this remains unevidenced.

The post Brahim Ghali… Former Agent Of The Spanish Policia Territorial appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Brahim Ghali, leader of separatist Polisario Front, faces serious charges before the Spanish judiciary.

Ghali faces charges related to committing terrorist acts, genocide, and torture as the man was involved in killing thirty Canary hunters.

During the open war between Morocco and the Polisario, the latter committed many atrocities, and among the perpetrators was the executioner Brahim Ghali, as there were numerous complaints filed against him regarding the torture of detainees in a clandestine detention center in Algeria.

In the same context, Sahrawi Khadijatou Mahmoud Mohamed Zoubeir accuses Ghali of rape and sexual assault.

The post Brahim Ghali Case… These Are The Charges Facing Polisario Leader appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.