Western Sahara: Weapons from Germany to Be Used by Separatists

Morocco Board News ^ | July 21, 2011 | unattributed

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Algeria has awarded four German companies the largest contract ($10 billion) for arms and military equipment ever signed by Algeria with a Western country. Algeria has been buying armaments and military equipment almost exclusively from Russia or former Soviet bloc countries.

Authorities in Algeria are willing to pay up to get either a recognition or a simple statement of support for their Western Sahara Separatist group, Polisario. During a visit to Berlin last December, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has managed to convince German Chancellor Angela Merkel to make a small gesture to the Polisario, when she said, in a joint press conference, that "her country shared the conviction of Algeria on the question of Western Sahara".

Since the announcement of the German green light for delivery of military equipment to Algeria, the leader of the Western Sahara Separatist Group, Mohamed Abdelaziz, has shown more confidence and bellicosity. According to Sahrawi sources in Tindouf, the old leader had been assured by the DRS, the Algerian military intelligence services that some of the equipment purchased will be made available to the Polisario troops stationed in Tindouf in Southwest Algeria.

This latest news is a welcome development for the Western Sahara Separatist leadership since a large portion of their old military gear has been decommissioned. The expected deliveries of new German equipment is a breath of fresh air and the Western Sahara Separatist group's regular threats of renewed hostilities against Morocco may be taken a bit more seriously.

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A map of the Sahel region showing where Al Qaeda operates (AFP/Graphic)

[OldNewYork]

Also serves as a map explaining why the Paris-Dakar is now run in South America.

Germany should be careful of playing with fire.