Algerian army chief of staff, General Said Chengriha, reaffirmed his country's support for the Polisario Front, which Algeria considers a «national cause» on par with the Palestinian cause, according to local media reports. «Algeria has defended and still defends just causes in the world, like the Sahrawi [Polisario] and Palestinian causes», Chengriha said in a speech delivered on Monday from Tamanrasset. «Despite the distance that separates Palestine and Western Sahara, the sufferings of the two peoples are similar in many respects», he claimed. Chengriha emphasized the need for «free peoples of the world to unite their efforts more than ever to confront occupation everywhere in the world». He further called on the «international community to stand in solidarity against these outdated violations to build a future where justice and peace reign». Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during a December 25th speech before Parliament, reiterated the country's «unwavering support» for the Polisario, designated as a «national cause».
