Messahel insists on peaceful settlement of conflicts

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APS : Tuesday, 03 May 2016
ALGIERS- Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel stressed Monday Algeria’s constant position in favour of peaceful settlement of conflicts and crises and the importance of political dialogue.
Speaking to National Radio Channel 3, Messahel tackled several international and regional topical issues, including Western Sahara conflict and the situation in Libya, Syria, the Sahel, in addition to the fight against terrorism.
Mentioning the latest developments of Western Sahara issue, the minister reiterated Algeria’s constant position which is “in line with the international community’s since it was registered on the United Nations list in 1963.”
Messahel stressed the importance of “political negotiations” between the two parties to the conflict, namely Morocco and the Polisario Front.
“The only solution comes through a referendum for the Saharawi people to freely decide on the future of their territory,” Messahel emphasized.
“It is not up to Algeria, or to Morocco, or to the United States or to France or to the Security Council to decide, it is an inalienable right of a people and a territory called Western Sahara, a non-autonomous territory.”
About the situation in Libya, the minister said Algeria “had warned in 2012 of the detrimental effects, on the neighbourhood, of a military intervention in this country, and (Algeria’s) warning has been proven to be right.”
“We were right because the chaotic situation (in Libya) has had bad consequences on Mali, has led to an upsurge of terrorism, has boosted relations between terrorism and organized crime and has resulted in serious threats to neighbouring countries,” he elaborated.
“Algerian diplomacy has been making efforts, over the past two years, for a political settlement in Libya.”
Mentioning the security situation in the Sahel region, Messahel said “we remain mobilized and we have submitted to the relevant institutions an important file on the issue.”
Algiers will host a conference on terrorism financing soon, he announced.
Messahel, in addition, insisted on the need to adopt the principal of national reconciliation as the only alternative for the settlement of crises, like that prevailing in Syria since 2011.
“Inter-Syrian national reconciliation is an option to end the bloodshed in Syria.”

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