Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, sharply rebuked Algeria at the UN Security Council on Friday, calling its comparison of the Sahara dispute with the Palestinian cause “shameful” and accusing Algiers of exploiting humanitarian arguments while restricting the rights of refugees in the Tindouf camps.
“It was a shameful comparison between the situation in Sahara and Palestine. I would say that is shameful,” Hilale said, responding directly to Algeria’s ambassador during the Council’s deliberations on the Sahara resolution.
Hilale challenged Algeria’s position on Palestine, contrasting restrictions on pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Algeria with protests held in Morocco.
“You come here, Ambassador, to lecture us about the suffering of the Palestinian people, and then you don’t allow people back home to protest in their favor,” he said.
The Moroccan diplomat also defended his country’s humanitarian engagement, asking: “Who sent humanitarian assistance? Who sent hospitals? Who is currently working to try to find a peaceful solution and negotiations?”
He argued that meaningful support for Palestinians came from countries working toward negotiations rather than those making political speeches.
Hilale then turned to Algeria’s role in the dispute, questioning why its ambassador had intervened in the Council’s deliberations while presenting the country as an observer rather than a directly concerned party.
“Why are you giving the Security Council lectures?” he asked, accusing Algeria of attempting to influence the vote, undermine the American penholder and discredit countries supporting the resolution.
“Your statement does not have any legal consistency, legal weight behind it,” he said.
The Moroccan ambassador devoted much of his intervention to the Tindouf camps, accusing Algeria of refusing to register their residents despite longstanding requests from the UN refugee agency.
He argued that registration was essential to establish the number of residents, identify vulnerable groups and determine humanitarian assistance requirements.
“Even this is not done. You’re depriving them from this protection,” Hilale said.
He further accused Algeria of transferring authority over the camps to the Polisario Front, restricting residents’ freedom of movement and allowing children to participate in military exercises. These allegations were presented by Hilale and were not independently established during his intervention.
“It’s been 50 years of exile, suffering, deprivation, violation of human rights, no hope,” he said.
Hilale called for residents to be allowed to return voluntarily to Morocco or travel elsewhere without their movement being conditioned on a political settlement.
“Let these people go back to Morocco. Let them go home,” he said.
He also accused Algeria of making camp residents “hostages to an Algerian political agenda” and an armed separatist group he alleged had links to international terrorism.
The exchange followed Russia’s veto of the US-drafted Sahara resolution, which would have changed MINURSO’s mandate and made Morocco’s autonomy proposal the sole basis for political negotiations.
Hilale thanked Washington and the countries that supported its proposal, saying Morocco had made substantial concessions during negotiations.
“Morocco has made a lot of concessions within the context of that, and we hope it was acceptable for everybody,” he said, expressing regret that the text had failed.
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