"I have always backed Morocco and its territorial integrity, and our stand has not changed," Senegalese President told the Arabic satellite TV channel "Al Arabiya" on Thursday.

    Mr. Wade deemed that some countries' recognition of the so-called "SADR" "is nonsense," reiterating his support to the Moroccan proposal to grant substantial autonomy to its Southern provinces - The Sahara.

    During a stopover at Mohammed V airport on January 6, the Senegalese president had reiterated full support to Morocco's territorial integrity and to the Moroccanity of the Sahara. "The Sahara is a Moroccan territory and should stay under the Moroccan sovereignty. We have never changed our stand,” he stressed.

    The Senegalese support comes on the eve of the fourth round of the negotiations over the Sahara, which will kick off on March 11 in Manhasset, in the outskirts of New York.

    Morocco and the Polisario have, so far, held three rounds of talks in Manhasset, in June (18-19), August (10-11) and January (7-9) in a bid to end the 32-year old dispute over the former Spanish colony. The territory was ceded to Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid Accords.