Times Of Swaziland: US RECOGNISES MOROCCO SOVEREIGNTY OVER WESTERN SAHARA

US RECOGNISES MOROCCO SOVEREIGNTY OVER WESTERN SAHARA
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 14/12/2020 06:48:00


MBABANE – The United States of America has issued a proclamation recognising
the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over Western Sahara.
This is the piece of land which now houses the new Eswatini Consulate General
offices in Morocco under a disputed area in Western Sahara.
Several African countries have opened diplomatic missions to Morocco in Western
Sahara, a disputed area occupied by Rabat. This has been exacerbating the
conflict in an already volatile region seeking independence.
In October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,
Thulisile Dladla, was captured by Moroccan media while unveiling both an Embassy
of Eswatini and the office of the Consulate General in Rabat and Laayouone,
respectively.  However, Dladla said these were gifts to the country and
everything was catered for by the Government of Morocco, courtesy of King
Mohamed VI.
Direction
“Nge siSwati sipho awusali” said Dladla, which loosely means that according
to Eswatini custom, one does not refuse a gift.  She said His Majesty King
Mswati III would give direction on the matter.
On the issue of the disputed area, the minister said Eswatini fully supported
the ongoing political processes held under the United Nations Secretary General
aimed at achieving a mutually acceptable and negotiated political solution to
the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
“Eswatini supports the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco as a
compromise solution,” said Dladla.  The minister said the initiative was in
conformity with the International law, the UN Charter and the General Assembly
and Security Council resolutions.
The Western Sahara is considered by the United Nations to be one of the 17
territories that are still regarded as none self government areas, according to
an expert on international relations, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
However, according to the Moroccan Government website, the Kingdom of Eswatini
had in October opened a consulate general in Laayoune, which was the seventh
diplomatic representation to be inaugurated in the city of the Moroccan Sahara
in less than a year.
Meanwhile, in its statement, the US, through it’s outgoing President Donald
Trump, affirmed its support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the only basis
for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara
territory.
“Therefore, as of today, the United States recognises Moroccan sovereignty
over the entire Western Sahara territory and reaffirms its support for
Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis
for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara
territory,” reads Trumps statement issued last week.
The country stated that it believed that an independent Sahrawi State was not a
realistic option for resolving the conflict and that genuine autonomy under
Moroccan sovereignty was the only feasible solution.
Trump urged the parties to engage in discussions without delay, using
Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only framework to negotiate a mutually
acceptable solution.
Meanwhile, the events of the many embassies and consulates being dished out by
Morocco have been described by DW News  as ‘Morocco’s Foreign Minister,
Nasser Bourita, appearing alongside one of his African counterparts smiling,
cutting a ribbon, or solemnly unveiling a plaque — a symbol of friendship
between their countries,’.   It was stated that with each act of solidarity, a
diplomatic step was taken and another African nation opened a consulate in
western Sahara.
Mission
The buildings are reportedly surfacing rapidly and since the end of 2019, at 10 
African States have opened diplomatic services in western Sahara under their
mission to Rabat. The other countries which have opened the missions include
Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros,
Gabon, Sao Tome and Príncipe, Central African Republic, Burundi and Zambia. The
Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony that extends over an area of 266 000
square kilometres, it witnessed an armed conflict until a ceasefire was declared
in 1991 between Morocco, which annexed it in 1975, and the Polisario, which
called for its independence, backed by Algeria. Morocco controls 80 per cent of
the area. The United Nations (UN) has been calling for the independence and
decolonisation of what was then the Spanish colony since the 1960s. All UN
mediation has failed.  Since the 1991 ceasefire, the Polisario Front had
controlled a strip in the east and south of Western Sahara that borders Algeria
to the northeast and extends to the Atlantic coast in the southwest. The site of
conflict — declared the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) by Polisario
— is managed from exile in Algeria, which supports the liberation movement.
Historically, Algeria has had a rocky relationship with Morocco.  The new
consulates in the controversial area, which the Moroccan Government in the
capital Rabat calls its southern provinces, are politically charged.  “This is
an attempt by Morocco to have the illegal occupation of the territories
recognised at all costs — it is indeed an illegal occupation,” said Yahia
Zoubir, Professor of International Relations at Kedge Business School.
Agreement
The opening of the consulate came a day after Eswatini inaugurated its embassy
in Rabat and signed an industrial cooperation agreement, as well as a joint
declaration showing interest in growing a bilateral partnership in the field of
health.
Zambia also opened a consulate general in Laayoune towards the end of October.
The two openings are part of Morocco’s vision to strengthen bilateral
cooperation with its fellow African countries.  According to the professor, the
motivation for these African countries to support rich Morocco is obvious.  The
debate has been that countries like Eswatini are opening consulates in cities
where they have no citizens whom they can offer services to.  The international
political analyst said countries like Eswatini, South Africa and Botswana, to
mention a few, had always supported the decolonisation of countries which was a
principle that guided how the countries related with the world.
The issue of the Western Sahara is currently on the UN Agenda where the Security
Council deals with these issues.