Sahara issue independence not an option, us expert says

By Madison on mar 12, 2010

Washington – Independence as an option to settle the Sahara issue can only be seen as a « less promising start for a viable state », Director of the Africa Project at the New York-based National Committee on American Foreign Policy said Thursday in Wahsinghton.

    According to Peter Pham, « the last thing that Africa needs is another failed state, much less in the geopolitical space of the Sahara and the Sahel region. »

    The establishment of such a state « would be destabilizing for the entire region and this would not serve the US interest of stability, development and democracy, » Pham said during a meeting on the Sahara, held by the Middle East Institute.

    Speaking about Tindouf camps, south-western Algeria, Pham criticized the « totalitarian » ideology of the polisario leaders  in these camps, where denial of freedom of expression is used as a ruling system.

source: map