Washigton, June 08, 2021 (SPS) - The Pentagon has once again denied the holding in Sahrawi territories of part of the "African Lion 2021" military exercises which kicked off yesterday.
According to a statement from the Pentagon, the African Lion 2021 military maneuvers organized in partnership with Morocco, will take place at the Kenitra air base in the north in Tan Tan and at the Grier Labouihi training complex, in Moroccan territories.
This statement contradicts the recent statements of the head of the Moroccan government Saad-Eddine El Othmani, who declared, a few days ago, that the military exercise will take place partly in the desert of occupied Western Sahara.
A first denial was made last Tuesday by the spokesperson for the United States Africa Command (Africom), Colonel Christopher Karns and the spokesperson for the Africom Central Command, Bardha Azari, who both specified that the exercises would take place on Moroccan territory.
In a message posted on his Twitter, Saad-Eddine El Othmani had argued that the international military maneuvers would take place in part in the occupied Saharawi territories "consecrating", according to him "the American recognition of the sovereignty of Morocco over occupied Western Sahara".
Mr. Othmani's tweet was deleted on Tuesday. Frente POLISARIO quickly denied Rabat's announcement, calling it a "totally false rumor". SPS
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