New confrontation between Morocco and Algeria for the conference against the Islamic State

“The participants expressed their concern about the proliferation of separatist movements in Africa that generate destabilization and increase the vulnerability of African states.and which ultimately favor Daesh (Islamic State and Daesh) and other terrorist and violent extremist organizations”, indicates the final communiqué of the International Conference held in Marrakech, with the participation of 79 countries.

The reference to separatist forces, as Morocco calls the Polisario Front, has deeply irritated Algeria, which has published a statement in which it accuses Rabat to manipulate these conclusions. He accuses him of being obsessed with the issue of Western Sahara, of having used the conference to divert it from its declared purpose and turn it into a pernicious attempt to give artificial relevance to a formula that died at its birth”, referring to the Moroccan autonomy plan. for the Sahara. It has been a “diplomatic fraud supposedly dedicated to the fight against terrorism that has surprised the good faith of some participants in this conference.”

However, the final statement establishes a link between the separatist movements and the terrorist movements that act in collusion, “exploiting existing vulnerabilities in such a way as to increase their destabilizing impact”.

In this sense, the participants highlighted the need to face “the evolution of the Daesh threat, particularly in Africa, by strengthening the anti-terrorist capacities of the African members; and take into account the challenges and threats posed by the proliferation of non-state actor organizationsparticularly separatist groups, as a factor of destabilization and vulnerability in the region”.

They also highlighted the importance of strengthening the capacities of the Coalition’s partner countries and supporting subregional and regional initiatives in the African continent according to specific needs. of the African member states. In this context, they underlined the need to fight Daesh financing, communications, foreign terrorist fighters and the establishment of territorial bases.