US recognition of Moroccanness of Sahara, “a Game-Changer” (Jeune Afrique)

The recognition by the United States of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara is a “game changer” which will serve long-term peace in North Africa and the Middle East, writes “Jeune Afrique” weekly in its latest issue.

 

In an op-ed titled: “Morocco, Sahara, Israel: the opportunity of new regional order”, Prof. of international relations of Nottingham university (UK) Tarik Oumazzane underlines the importance of the US recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara because it emanates from a superpower, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of NATO, a status which enables it to play a key role in solving the Sahara issue.

The US has described many times Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara as “serious, credible and realistic”, recalls the university professor, noting that Washington deems it today as the ONLY proposal on the negotiating table, which should encourage Algeria and the polisario to accept it.

The US administration has launched the process of setting up a US consulate in the Moroccan Saharan city of Dakhla to drain investments to boost socioeconomic development of the Southern provinces of the Kingdom.

Several Africa, Arab and Caribbean countries have already opened consulates in the Sahara to support Morocco’s territorial integrity and national cause.

 

According to senior US presidential advisor Jared Kushner, by recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, US president Donald Trump “rejects the failed status quo which benefits no one”.

 

For his part, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet posted Tuesday that for decades US Administrations failed to resolve the Sahara conflict “because they didn’t want to take risks. We did, in the interest of peace”.