Lebanon takes a stand in favour of Morocco's territorial integrity
The Lebanese government has taken steps to put an end to the hostile campaign launched by the Polisario Front against Morocco. In this regard, the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, underlined the importance of bilateral relations between Morocco and Lebanon, reaffirming his country's position in favour of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom.
In a press release issued this weekend, Bou Habib indicated that Beirut wishes to reinforce "the historic and deep-rooted ties of fraternity that bind it to Morocco and its honourable people".
Moreover, following a telephone conversation with the Moroccan ambassador in Beirut, the minister also expressed Lebanon's "condemnation of any positions and statements that harm the Kingdom of Morocco and threaten its stability and territorial integrity".
"Lebanon commends the fraternal relations with Morocco and always aspires to strengthen cooperation between the two brotherly countries in all fields," he added.
These statements and the phone call follow a recent conference organised by the Polisario Front in Beirut. Specifically, according to Yabiladi, this event was promoted by the Polisario representative in Syria, Mohamed Lamine El Kattab, and was also attended by the General Secretariat of the Polisario women's movement.
The meeting, held under the slogan "From Western Sahara to Palestine, the genocide continues", was made possible by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, a political formation operating in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
Since the start of the 7 October war between Israel and Hamas, the Polisario has used the situation in the Gaza Strip to promote, unsuccessfully, its ideas among Arab societies.
Although Lebanon, like the vast majority of Arab countries, supports Morocco's territorial integrity, Polisario has managed to forge strong links with the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, as well as with the Amal movement.
As the Moroccan media recalls, the first official contacts between these armed groups date back to 1985 in Beirut, and have been growing ever since. In 2014, Hezbollah members of parliament received a Polisario delegation in their stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Two years later, in 2016, a "Lebanese committee of solidarity with the Sahrawi people" was created.
The Moroccan authorities have repeatedly accused Hezbollah - backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran - of financing and arming the Polisario.
In the face of Morocco's strong international support for the Sahara cause, the Polisario has chosen to intensify its hostile campaign against the Kingdom.
Many nations have on numerous occasions reiterated their support for Morocco's territorial integrity, in particular its Autonomy Plan, calling it "a viable, credible and serious political solution" to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
One of the latest countries to reaffirm this position and its support for the Kingdom's territorial integrity was Brazil during a meeting between the two countries' Foreign Ministers in Rabat.