Where does the world stand on Morocco’s autonomy plan?
Sahrawis pictured by freewesternsahara.org
Ivory Coast and The Commonwealth of Dominica have recently reaffirmed their support of Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, as reported by government friendly Atalayar on the 21st of May.
What is Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara? Submitted to the United Nations in 2007, this proposal aims to keep the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty while instilling local governance that would privilege Sahrawi populations in these new institutions.
This proposal has gained significant international support, namely from Burkina Faso, the Netherlands, Finland, and Niger. With Ivory Coast and Dominica part of them, Morocco’s network of political alliances in Africa and the Carribean continues to grow significantly. Sharing the sentiment of Finland and the Netherlands, the new support emphasises this plan as the most “credible” and “realistic” solution to the regional conflict.
Rabat employing strategy to combine economic cooperation, South-South alliances, African investments, and diplomacy to nail his plan. Morocco’s relationships with both Ivory Coast and Dominica embodies this strategy.
In solidifying its alliance with Ivory Coast, Morocco has increased its presence in vital sectors, such as banking, fertilisers, agriculture, infrastructure, and telecommunications. Alongside this, the nations have upheld political cooperation on African regional affairs.
Dominca emphasised the Moroccan vision of South-South cooperation for its “efficiency, solidarity, and pragmatism,” reflecting the influence of Rabat’s engagement in economic cooperation and development in diplomatic efforts across the globe. In strategising investment, energy cooperation, trade agreements, and its financial presence, Morocco has concentrated a vigorous international effort on the Sahara.
While backed by Israel, the UK, US Ambassador Mike Waltz, and France, the autonomy plan has polarised support in Western Sahara itself, torn between the Polisario Front and Morocco’s position. Although a large number of Moroccans have resided for generations in the region, the native Sahrawis remain the central demographic to this conflict, mostly wary of Moroccan integration as a form of occupation. The autonomy plan has even been accused of “dividing the Sahrawi people” by the Polisario Front. Supported by Algeria, the Polisario Front is a militia group claiming to fight for Sahrawi self-determination. In the midst of regional tensions and strategic interests, both Morocco and the Polisario Front have laid claim to the Western Sahara territory.
Algeria itself has been a vociferous critic of the Moroccan bid for sovereignty over Western Sahara. Algeria and Morocco’s conflict can be traced to 1963, when the nations waged war over colonial borders. The issue of Western Sahara is another symptom of their hostility, as Algeria pushes for the Polisario Front’s independence against Morocco’s claim to the territory.
With the autonomy plan gaining more international momentum, Algerian-Moroccan tensions continue and each respective nation significantly increases its defence budget by up to 17.7%. Their dynamic has reached a precarious point, and the development of this plan can be catalytic to the North African region.
Atalayar, Maghrebi.org
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