Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune claimed that his country respects and adheres to Security Council decisions regarding the Sahara issue. However, Algeria has already declined the Council's invitation to participate in roundtable discussions and the census of the Tindouf camps, undermining its stance on cooperation with UN resolutions. During a joint press conference with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, following their discussions at the Algiers presidency on Monday, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that they had addressed the Western Sahara conflict along with other key issues. India, which previously recognized the Polisario «republic» on September 1, 1985, withdrew this recognition in June 2000 and has since maintained neutrality on the Sahara issue. Despite pressure from Algeria and South Africa, India continues to exclude the Polisario Front from its summits with the African Union. «We reaffirmed the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state, and we agreed to respect the outcomes of the UN Security Council concerning the Western Sahara issue», Tebboune stated. However, the Indian president made no mention of the Sahara conflict in her remarks. Algeria refuses to implement UN resolution on Sahara Contrary to Tebboune's claims, Algeria itself has not implemented UN Security Council resolutions on the Sahara conflict, including the latest Resolution 2703. This resolution calls for a population census of the Tindouf camps and a return to roundtable negotiations involving Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario. Algeria has consistently resisted the UN's demands to allow a population census in the Tindouf camps, arguing that «the only lasting solution for the Sahrawis» is a voluntary return to their homeland under a full implementation of the UN peace plan, which promises the Sahrawi people self-determination. According to Algeria, this plan includes the census of Sahrawi refugees as a vital part of the process, unlike other refugee situations. On September 30, during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reiterated that Algeria refuses to participate in UN-organized roundtable discussions and instead called for «direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front». Algeria also seeks to involve the African Union in the dispute—a move Morocco firmly opposes, insisting that the conflict remains under the exclusive purview of the United Nations.
