Belgium endorses Morocco’s Western Sahara plan

Belgium has become the latest Western nation to support Morocco’s plan for autonomy as a solution to the long-standing Western Sahara dispute, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters on October 23rd.

In a joint declaration signed on October 23rd in Brussels by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot, Belgium said that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty would be “the most adequate, serious, credible and realistic basis to reach a political solution” for the disputed Western Sahara region.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has emphasised a renewed global commitment to resolving the dispute.

It was reported on September 3rd that Belgium’s government had formed a so-called “Arizona” coalition between liberals, conservatives, Christian democrats and Flemish nationalists to reach an agreement on a bill that recognised Morocco’s claim to the Western Sahara.

Under Morocco’s proposal, Western Sahara would be granted limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty, a proposal that has been endorsed by 130 countries.

However, Algeria as well as the Polisario Front have objected to the plan because they advocate for the full independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The Polisario Front is an organisation that calls for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people; the group has described Morocco as an “occupier” and has accused the Kingdom of “dividing the Sahrawi people.”

The group claims to be supporting “the Sahrawi people’s right to resist occupation by all means, across all occupied territories”.

Morocco currently controls most of Western Sahara and proposes autonomy within the Kingdom, while Algeria supports the SADR’s call for independence and a return to its pre-1975 colonial borders.

The Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until 1975 and is the ancestral land of the Sahrawi people. Since 1975, the area has been claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front due to regional tensions and strategic interests.

The conflict between Morocco and Algeria has led Sahrawis to flee the territory, with many ending up in the Tindouf refugee camps, where they face worsening conditions.

The UN Security Council warned on August 25th that the so-called coastal development projects in the territory have involved extensive land seizures, property destruction and forced displacement.

The Moroccan government was accused on March 13th of using spyware to monitor and intimidate people in Western Sahara. Pro-Polisario Front activists have also been blocked from entering the territory by Moroccan authorities.

It was reported on May 20th, that the Sahrawi Peace Movement (MSP), which advocates for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, called upon the Polisario Front to reconsider its position on the issue and engage in diplomatic efforts.

Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters, Maghrebi.org