No more gasoline in Laayoune
Gas stations in and around Laayoune have run out of fuel - authorities are blaming bad weather, locals point the finger at thieves.
Whatever the cause, there has been no fuel available at gas stations in Laayoune in the last few days, Moroccan daily Libération writes.
The official version is that “adverse weather conditions” have been blocking the port of Laayoune for ships carrying gasoline. Local sources tell the newspaper that the heavily state-subsidized fuel is being stolen and sold on for a profit by smugglers.
Libération points to the recent arrests of several smugglers who were trafficking cigarettes, fuel and food between Algeria and Morocco. The paper seems to imply that the Polisario front, which campaigns for an independent Western Sahara, is somehow involved, and could possibly be profiting from the smuggling activities.