Paris, Mar 20 (AP) Algeria has recalled its ambassador to Spain in protest against Madrid's backing of a Moroccan plan to give autonomy to Western Sahara.

Algeria condemned Spain's “abrupt U-turn”, saying in an official statement on Saturday that Spain had previously demonstrated neutrality in the long-running conflict for the former Spanish colony disputed between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front independence movement.

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Algeria threw its weight behind the Polisario after Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara in 1975.

Spain on Friday backed a Moroccan proposal for Western Sahara to operate autonomously under Rabat's rule, calling it “the most serious, realistic and credible” initiative for resolving a decades-long dispute over the vast African territory.

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The Polisario accused Spain of a “grave error” of judgment. It has continued to call for an independence referendum.

A Spanish foreign ministry official on Saturday said Madrid had “previously informed the Algerian government about its position regarding Sahara”.

“For Spain, Algeria is a strategic, priority and reliable partner with whom we intend to maintain a privileged relationship,” said the official, who was not authorised to be named in media reports. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)