The Moroccan Sahara has in recent days become the “Mecca” of the great powers, which hastened to consolidate their roots in the Southern Provinces and to reaffirm their support for the Moroccan nature of the Sahara.
This diplomatic rush towards the Southern Provinces augurs the approach of the epilogue of this artificial conflict, as specified by King Mohammed VI in the speech he delivered on the occasion of the anniversary of the March Green, relay Al Ahdath Al Maghribia this Thursday, November 14.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House is a catalyst to definitively close this file, because the opportunity to take the train of recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara will not last more than two months, before he takes the reins of the United States.
Everyone expects the new-former president to complete the formalities for opening a consulate in Dakhla, as he had promised when he recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara in December. 2020.
The position of the United States was followed by France, which recognized that the Moroccan autonomy plan constituted the only basis for reaching a political solution.
A recognition which was definitively consecrated by the historic visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco, materialized by the equally historic trip of the French ambassador to Morocco to the Southern Provinces.
In parallel with the evolution of the French position, Spain is seeking to follow suit, knowing that the Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, last Monday, November 11, emphasized the importance of strengthening cultural ties between Morocco and Spain while describing the Kingdom as “strategic partner» and “friendly country».
The Spanish daily “Objective» indicated that the return of Donald Trump and the execution of his promises would be a favorable opportunity to inaugurate a branch of the Cervantes Institute in the Moroccan Sahara.
Moreover, the director of this institute declared in May 2022 that his country intended to expand its centers in Morocco, to encompass the Sahara, via the opening of an antenna in Laâyoune.
Alongside these developments, Moroccan diplomacy is constantly expanding its field of action, in order to increase the number of decisions to recognize the Moroccan character of the Sahara, this time targeting the Russian ally.
Several signals suggest that Russia is close to making a crucial decision, in the sense of supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan, starting with the very friendly meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Forum which is held in Sochi, between Nasser Bourita and the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov.
A Forum where Algeria suffered yet another setback, when Russia defeated all Algeria’s attempts so that the Polisario could participate in this forum.
And as if to confirm this development, the advisor to the Russian president Anton Kopiakov revealed that his country was preparing to create free trade zones with four Arab countries, including Morocco.
In addition, Rabat and Moscow, he continued, are negotiating a new fishing agreement, which could encompass the Atlantic coasts, including those of the Southern Provinces.
Faced with these developments in the major world powers, Great Britain does not remain isolated, because it is very likely that London will join Washington directly after the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House in January 2025.
Indeed, several British voices have been raised in recent days to demand that their country recognize the Moroccan nature of the Sahara, just after Paris’ position.
Faced with this dynamic duly recognized by the UN, China could join the two permanent member countries of the Security Council (France and the United States), especially since Beijing and Rabat have many issues of common interest, among which we find similarities between the Moroccan Sahara affair and the island of Taiwan, a crucial issue for this country.
Par Hassan Benadad
11/13/2024 at 7:15 p.m.
