ALGERIA - Apr. 23 - Polisario Leader Accuses France.

Algerian-backed Polisario Front chief Mohammed Abdelaziz accused the French government of supporting a Moroccan effort to "rebel against international law" over the future of Western Sahara. Abdelaziz also reiterates his opposition to limited self-rule in the former Spanish colony as a possible alternative to a UN-sponsored referendum to decide whether the territory should be incorporated into Morocco or become independent as Polisario wants. He tells state-run radio in an interview: "We say that there are some quarters in the world, and I specifically mention the French government, which help the Moroccan government to rebel against international law". Abdelaziz gives no details of the alleged French support but accuses Morocco of thwarting UN efforts to organise a referendum in Western Sahara. Apparently referring to references by diplomats and in local newspapers to limited self-rule as a possible way out of the current logjam, he says: "Morocco wants to alter the UN peace plan and replace it by something else", adding: "The only way is the free and democratic self-determination referendum for the Saharan people. Anything else than this is absolutely rejected". (The vote on the future of the territory has been delayed since 1992. Delays have been blamed on differences over who should be allowed to vote.) Early April, UN special envoy Baker met government officials in Algeria, Polisario leaders at their headquarters in the south-western Algerian town of Tindouf and King Mohammed in Rabat, in a bid to rescue the stalled peace process. But he concluded: "The settlement plan is not dead. It is very much still alive, but it is in the ditch. It's in trouble, and it is in rather big trouble".