- A historic turning point
- What does this support mean?
- The economic impact
17 years have passed since Morocco presented the Western Sahara autonomy plan to the UN. Since then, dozens of countries have shown their support for the Rabat government and King Mohammed VI. Some world class, like the United States, and more recently, Spain, Germany and France. The United States notably declared that the Alawite proposal constituted “the most serious and credible approach to the resolution of the conflict”.
The Alawite state has consolidated its sovereignty over Western Sahara. By opening consulates in the region and developing infrastructure, Morocco has strengthened its diplomatic and economic position.
Over the past decade, international recognition of the Moroccan approach to the conflict in the region has accelerated. Morocco has thus managed to join the group of countries which have explicitly recognized the Moroccan Sahara, and others which have strengthened their support for this approach by opening diplomatic offices in the Moroccan Sahara.
The first country to open a consulate in the Moroccan Sahara was the Comoros in 2019, and the United Arab Emirates was the first Gulf country to open a consulate in Laayoune in 2020. In August, the number of consulates reached 29, located in Laayoune and Dakhla, with 12 and 17 consulates respectively, to which is added the consulate general of the Republic of Chad in the city of Dakhla in the Moroccan Sahara.
After the United States, France was the second permanent member of the Security Council to support the Moroccan Sahara, while it is confirmed that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the most effective solution to the conflict.
The recognition of France represents an important “turning point” in the process, because it is a permanent member of the Security Council and therefore has a right of veto, like the United States and the other permanent members.
France’s consideration could motivate other European countries to recognize the Moroccan Sahara, due to the strong relations it maintains with several countries, in numerous international blocs such as the Francophile group or the European Union, among others.
In the first speech, Mohammed VI stressed that “the law is supreme and insurmountable, and just causes always prevail”, referring to the growing international support for the Moroccan Sahara and the Moroccan proposal to manage the conflict in the region. In the second, on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March, the King of Morocco sent clear and firm messages to two parties: “assume your responsibility and clarify the big difference between the real and legitimate world, which Morocco represents in its desert, and a frozen world, detached from reality and its events”.
This speech was addressed to the International Community, either to the United Nations with the need to assume its responsibility in the persistence of this conflict, or to certain countries which distinguished themselves by their support for the separatist idea instead of concentrating on solving their internal problems. This speech, and the occasion on which it was delivered, made it clear to the King that Morocco would not cede a single inch of its territory, nor would it even consider negotiating it.
The economic impact
Investments in the development of the southern region, such as the port of Dakhla and the Tiznit-Dajla highway, which improve connectivity and promote sustainable development, are just some of the measures taken by the government to boost the economy of the region. Programs in the areas of agriculture, fishing and renewable energy are those on which the national administration has focused to strengthen the economic integration of the Sahara with the rest of Morocco.
Thanks to a significant improvement in basic health, education and housing services for the local population, the southernmost regions of the country are reaching the average levels of income and expenditure of the rest of the provinces. Furthermore, the geographical position of the region and the country is very favorable for investment and development, with Europe located on the other side of the country’s coasts.
