Jordania abrirá Consulado en El Aaiún
Jordan has signed up to the plan to open consulates in the southern part of Morocco, El Aaiun, a territory still internationally disputed by the Saharawi Polisario Front, which has stepped up its attacks on Guerguerat in order to call attention to the international intention with respect to the territorial conflict that has been going on for 45 years.
This was announced in a statement by the Moroccan cabinet, Jordan will open a consulate in El Aaiun, the second Arab country and 17th state with a consular representation in the territory in dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
The announcement was made by King Abdullah II of Jordan in a telephone conversation with King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Jordan's decision represents support for the Maghreb country at a special time, such as the crisis unleashed last Friday, when the Moroccan army intervened to evict Sahrawi activists who blocked commercial and passenger traffic for three weeks at the Guerguerat border crossing, a five-kilometre strip between the Moroccan customs office and the Mauritanian border.
This eviction led the Polisario Front to break the ceasefire the following day and declare war on Morocco, although the latter has minimised the conflict and does not recognise the war despite the open fire it is suffering from on the part of Polisario.
King Abdullah II welcomed King Mohammed VI's decision to order this eviction action in order to "ensure the movement of people and goods in the El Guerguerat region", the note stressed.
For his part, the Moroccan monarch expressed to the Jordanian king "his consideration and gratitude following this important decision, which is in keeping with the supportive position that the Hashemite kingdom has not ceased to express on the question of Morocco's territorial integrity".
Jordan is the second Arab country to open a consulate in El Ayoun after the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the 15 other African countries that have opened their representations in the capital of the Sahara and in Dakhla.
