Following the Malian Prime Minister's accusatory speech at the UN about Algeria, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN supported Bamako's claims, accusing Algiers of playing a dubious role in the Sahel and Sahara. Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, spoke at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly last night, responding to remarks made earlier by Algeria's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, regarding the Sahara issue. The Moroccan ambassador rejected all «Algerian accusations» on the matter. However, he went further by introducing a new point in the usual back-and-forth between Rabat and Algiers at international meetings, accusing Algeria of being «the root cause of all the problems in the Sahel and Sahara». Hilale emphasized that Algeria harbors terrorists, extremists, and separatists from the region, insisting, «They find refuge on Algerian soil». He also noted that «there is a terrorist, extremist, and separatist threat in the Sahel, and it's all because of Algeria. Algeria's borders are full of terrorists, extremists, and separatists». Algeria must respect regional sovereignty Hilale then shifted focus to what he called «the solution» for the Sahel-Saharan region's problems, which he claimed Ahmed Attaf failed to mention. Addressing Algerians, he urged them to «stop meddling in the internal affairs of the region's countries. Respect the sovereignty of your neighbors and their political choices». He wrapped up his reply by inviting Algerian authorities to «revisit the speech delivered from this podium on Saturday by an important minister, where he detailed the diplomatic relations between the Sahel countries and Algeria». Hilale was referring to Mali's Minister of State, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, who had accused Algeria at the UN of providing «safe haven for terrorists and renegades». «We are witnessing serious interference in Mali's internal affairs», Maïga had warned. «Since the collapse of the Algiers Agreement on January 25, 2024, Mali has one final message for that agreement: may it rest in peace. For every bullet fired at us, we will respond in kind, and for every insult thrown at us, we will answer with equal force». On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Nasser Bourita, Morocco's Foreign Minister, held talks with his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop. Bourita also met with officials from other Sahel countries—Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad—who had all joined an initiative launched by King Mohammed VI on November 6, 2023, aimed at giving these countries easier access to the Atlantic Ocean.
