Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Algeria-backed Polisario has again threatened war against Morocco.

Polisario said it was preparing to renew hostilities against Morocco amid the stalemate over the disputed region of Western Sahara. The movement cited a pledge by Morocco’s King Mohammed to maintain a military presence in Western Sahara.

“Morocco will stay in the Sahara, and the Sahara will stay in Morocco until the end of time,” King Mohammed said in a speech on Nov. 6.

In a statement on Nov. 9, Polisario blamed the international community for failing to work for independence for Western Sahara. Salem also accused Rabat of human rights violations.

“We will have no other choice but to return to armed struggle,” Polisario Foreign Minister Mohammed Salem said.

Over the last five years, Polisario, supported by Algeria, has threatened to renew war against Morocco. The two sides have observed an uneasy ceasefire negotiated by the United Nations in 1991.

Morocco, which annexed 80 percent of the region in 1975, has offered autonomy for Western Sahara. But Polisario has demanded a referendum on independence.

  Polisario threatens war with Morocco over Western Sahara, WorldTribune.com