Western Sahara: Guinea-Bissau reaffirms Moroccan plan support
Support for Moroccan sovereignty was expressed following talks in Rabat between João Bernardo Vieira, Guinea-Bissau's Foreign Minister, and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, on May 19th.
Morocco’s West Africa ties look set to flourish once again as Guinea-Bissau reaffirms its support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according to the pro-Moroccan North Africa Post and agencies on May 20th.
Support was expressed following talks in Rabat between João Bernardo Vieira, Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Minister, and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, on May 19th.
Vieira also reiterated support for Moroccan control over its entire territory, along with emphasising Morocco’s role in promoting dialogue, stability and international cooperation.
Under the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, or Resolution 2797, the Western Sahara would be granted limited self-governance under Moroccan control.
The plan is widely perceived as a credible solution to the territorial dispute that has persisted since Spanish colonial rule ended in 1975.
Guinea-Bissau joins 130 nations in backing Moroccan sovereignty, including several African countries: Somalia, Senegal, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Mali became the latest West African nation to back Moroccan sovereignty in April and withdraw support from the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which is endorsed by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
Furthermore, Guinea-Bissau is among several African countries expected to benefit from Morocco’s Gas Pipeline project, which would enhance energy access across the continent.
The Atlantic Initiative would provide landlocked African countries access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Moroccan-controlled Western Saharan city of Dakhla.
Despite widespread support from Moroccan sovereignty, Algeria and its Polisario allies reject Morocco’s plan and have repeatedly argued for an independence referendum, which has been denied.
Polisario militants claim to fight for self-determination for the Sahrawi people, who are indigenous to the Western Sahara.
Decades of conflict have led many Sahrawis to reside in refugee camps, including the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps near the Mauritanian border.
Concerns about the camps becoming an extremist hub led Morocco to join an EU aid monitoring mechanism in January.
The Tindouf camps have allegedly hosted Hezbollah fighters, which, like the Polisario Front, receives Iranian funding.
Kurdish and Tuareg separatists have also reportedly visited the camps; Tuareg rebels allegedly fought against Morocco before the 1991 ceasefire halted the armed conflict between Morocco and the Western Sahara.
However, the UN-sponsored ceasefire broke down in 2020, leading to a resumption of fighting.
A bill to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation received bipartisan support in the US Congress in February; this designation has previously received support from European and Latin American experts and politicians.
Maghrebi has contacted Vieira for comment on Guinea-Bissau’s support for Moroccan sovereignty, but has not received a response at the time of publication.
North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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