No idea if this qualifies as WoT, but has some of the hallmarks: mounting tensions, veiled diplo threats, potential vast natural resources at stake...plus our friends the "North Africans."
Algeria accused Morocco on Monday of intensifying a war of words between the two countries as tensions mount over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. "All we can do it express our very strong disappointment in the escalation of speeches by Morocco," Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem told state radio. "Even if we disagree on the question of Western Sahara it should not be used to abuse us too much because the Algerian people only wants the good for the Moroccan people," he said.
Relations have worsened since South Africa last month decided to establish full diplomatic ties with the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), dealing a blow to Rabat's claim over the territory. Morocco seized Western Sahara in 1975 after former colonial power Spain pulled out. This triggered a 16-year-long guerrilla war with the Polisario Front, which set up the SADR as what it hoped would be independent territory. Algiers, long a backer of the Western Sahara independence movement based in southwest Algeria, has rejected allegations by Moroccan newspapers that it wants to expand its territory and is building up its armed forces at the border and provoking an arms race by the purchase of MiG fighter jets. Belkhadem said on Sunday Algeria had no intention of going to war with Morocco.
| "No, no! Certainly not! Those are just, um, ... training missions!" |
|