Morocco authorities sent four deputies of the European Parliament for trying to illegally entering the city of El-Yuun in Western Sahara. This was stated by the Foreign Minister Morocco Nasser Burita at a press conference following a meeting with a colleague from Cabo-Verde.
According to the head of the department, the four deputies of the European Parliament and the two persons accompanying them were deported after on Thursday, February 20, they tried to enter the city of El-Yuun without prior agreement with the Moroccan authorities.
“A large number of officials and tourists visited the Western Sahara region as part of official visits and participation in conferences, but these works are carried out in accordance with certain procedures,” said the head of the diplomatic mission.
According to the Moroccan media, we are talking about the deputies of the European Parliament Anna Katya Limstrom and Jose Antero Saramo from the Left Alliance of Finland, Isabelle Serra Sanchez from the Spanish Party “Podmos” and Katarina Martins from the Socialist Bloc of Portugal.
The European Union has not yet commented on this incident.
The conflict around Western Sahara has been continuing since 1975, when Morocco included the former Spanish colony in its composition.
This decision led to the confrontation between Morocco and the front of Polisario, which advocates the independence of the region and enjoys the support of Algeria.
Until 1991, the front of Polisario waged an armed struggle against the Moroccan security forces, however, after a truce achieved through the mediation of the UN, the fighting was discontinued.
Nevertheless, negotiations on the status of the region over 300 years have not led to the settlement of the conflict.