Turkish president says the move is also aimed at increasing the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza
mena5 hours ago
Tunisia said Saturday it would recall its ambassador from Morocco for consultations, a day after the kingdom did the same in response to Tunisia's president hosting the Polisario movement's head.
The Polisario wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a vast stretch of mineral-rich desert which Morocco sees as a sovereign part of its own territory.
Tunisian President Kais Saied had on Friday hosted Polisario chief Brahim Ghali who arrived to attend the Japanese-African investment conference TICAD.
In response to what it called a "hostile" and "unnecessarily provocative" act, Morocco immediately withdrew its Tunis ambassador for consultations and cancelled its own participation in the high-profile conference.
On Saturday the Tunisian Foreign Ministry voiced its "surprise" at Morocco's reaction.
"Tunisia has maintained its total neutrality on the Western Sahara issue in line with international law," it said in a statement.
"This position will not change until the concerned parties find a peaceful solution acceptable to all."
Saied spent much of Friday welcoming African leaders arriving for the TICAD conference, including Ghali who is also president of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
Morocco accused Tunisia of "unilaterally" inviting the Polisario chief "against the advice of Japan and in violation of the process of preparation and established rules".
But Tunisia said Saturday the African Union had issued a direct invitation to the SADR, a member state, to join the conference, noting that it had attended previous such gatherings - alongside Morocco.
The move came as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Morocco's arch-rival and Polisario backer Algeria for a three-day visit aimed at healing ties with the former French colony.
It is not the first time that Ghali's travels have sparked Moroccan anger.
In April 2021, he headed to Spain to be treated for Covid-19, sparking a year-long diplomatic row between Spain and the North African kingdom.
That only ended after Madrid dropped its decades-long stance of neutrality over the Western Sahara - a former Spanish colony - and backed a Moroccan plan for limited self-rule there.
ALSO READ:
The Polisario had waged an armed struggle before agreeing to a ceasefire in 1991 on the promise of a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination, which has never happened.
The current chair of the African Union, Macky Sall, said he "regretted the absence of Morocco" in a speech to TICAD delegates on Saturday.
"We hope that this problem will find a solution for the smooth running of our partnership" between Africa and Japan, he said.
Turkish president says the move is also aimed at increasing the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza
mena5 hours ago
In another case at the same airport, officials apprehended five foreign nationals who tried to smuggle gold worth Rs.24.4 million
asia5 hours ago
More than 2,000 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested in the past two weeks across the US
americas5 hours ago
Fireballs and Smash tied for the lead in the team event at the $25 million 54 hole tournament
sports5 hours ago
The hosts strengthened their chances of securing a slot in the semifinals with a 70-run victory in Abu Dhabi
sports6 hours ago
The group has a presence in five countries and eyes further geographic expansion, especially in India
markets6 hours ago
The severity of the situation gradually eased from Thursday evening, when it receded in the north and east of the country
weather7 hours ago
Cyclone Hidaya is predicted to cause torrential rain, strong winds and powerful and dangerous waves in the flood-ravaged country
africa7 hours ago