afrol News, 4 May - After having stated his support for Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara, Norway's Ambassador to Morocco today spent the whole day in meetings with the Oslo Foreign Ministry, where he apologised for his statements. It remains unsure whether he is let to return to Morocco, and voices are raised for his replacement.

Ambassador Arne Aasheim told Norway's state broadcaster that "Western Sahara is a part of Morocco" in an interview aired yesterday. This statement and his privately initiated efforts to promote business cooperation between Norwegian commercial actors and Moroccan interests in the occupied territory cost him the wrath of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

Mr Aasheim on Monday was called home to Oslo for consultations. Today, he spent the entire day in meetings at the Ministry, including a larger meeting with Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. Ministry spokesman Eirik Bergesen this afternoon told the Norwegian press that Ambassador Aasheim had regretted and apologised for his statements that were contradicting Norway's Western Sahara policies.

Asked what would no happen with the Ambassador, Mr Bergesen said this was up to Forein Minister Petersen, who was considering what consequences should be drawn. Mr Bergesen did not want to speculate whether Minister Petersen would let the Ambassador return to the Rabat Embassy. It was however clear that Mr Aasheim was not let to return to Rabat until the Minister had reached a decision.

Given the pro-Moroccan statements by the Ambassador, voices are now however raised in Norway for his replacement. The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara today demanded Mr Aasheim "be withdrawn" from the position at the Rabat Embassy for Norway to remain credible in the Western Sahara conflict.

According to spokesman Ronny Hansen of the Committee, "the ambassador is no longer a credible representative of Norway in this region." The activist added that Norway had now "lost credibility and is seen as a supporter of the occupying power Morocco," urging the Ministry to consider tough consequences for Mr Aasheim's position.

- Norway and Norwegian companies have fallen into Morocco's trap, Mr Hansen said. "Through investments and trade in goods from occupied Western Sahara, Norway is both legitimising and prolonging the Moroccan occupation. It is not worthy of Norway to profit from a brutal occupation. The Ministry of foreign affairs will now have problems explaining itself to the United Nations and the Sahrawi people," he added.

Also representatives of the exiled Western Sahara government were astonished by Ambassador Aasheim's statements and expected consequences. The Sahrawi Representative to Scandinavia, Lamine Yahiaoui, told the government-controlled news agency 'SPS' that "the Norwegian official position supports Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and has always supported the UN efforts to resolve the conflict through the organisation of a free and transparent referendum."

Thus, continued Mr Yahiaoui, "the position of the Ambassador is incomprehensible, especially when it does not have the support of the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs nor of the Minister of Finance, who categorically discourage Norwegian companies from investing, howsoever, in the occupied territories of Western Sahara", he emphasised.

The Sahrawi diplomat finally declared that his country highly appreciates the official positions of Norway, "who always has resisted pressure from the tutors of Moroccan colonialism," he underlined, inviting Norwegian government officials to "visit the Sahrawi refugee camps [in the Algerian desert] to closely have an idea about the situation on the ground."

By staff writers

© afrol News

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