Netherlands: Morocco’s autonomy plan seen as “most feasible”

The Netherlands has backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, according to the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on December 7th.

This supportive stance was expressed following a meeting on December 5th at The Hague between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Dutch counterpart, David Van Weel.

A Joint Statement was issued following the meeting, in which the Netherlands confirmed that “genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the most feasible solution to definitely put an end to the regional dispute.”

The Moroccan Autonomy Plan, also known as Resolution 2797, was recognised as a “feasible solution” by the UN Security Council on a vote which took place on October 31st; the proposal would grant the Western Sahara limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.

The 50-year conflict began when Spanish colonial rule over the region ended in 1975.

However, the Netherlands’ support for Moroccan sovereignty seemingly contradicts its start-up partnership with Algeria, which was unveiled in September.

According to the pro-Algerian AL24 News outlet, the Netherlands and Algeria have launched a joint program called “BlueGreen Zone,” which aims to boost the international competitiveness of local innovators.

Algeria rejects Resolution 2797 and supports the Polisario Front, a separatist militia that claims to wage an armed struggle against what it views as Morocco’s illegal occupation of the Western Sahara, which is the ancestral homeland of the Sahrawi people.

Morocco has also sought to expand its economic ties with the EU, which includes the Netherlands, through the export of agricultural products.

Currently, Morocco is the EU’s largest trade partner in the Middle East and Africa combined, with 67.7% of Moroccan exports reportedly going to the EU in 2024.

A trade agreement designed to boost agricultural exports between Morocco and the EU was signed in October, but has been challenged by the Polisario Front, as the organisation reportedly filed an appeal in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

Under the trade agreement, products from the Western Sahara would be labelled as being from Morocco, a decision that the Polisario Front claims was made without consultation with the Sahrawi people.

North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org