Morocco celebrates major diplomatic gains in 2024

Morocco achieved significant diplomatic gains in 2024, with France’s recognition of its sovereignty over the Sahara territory, ushering a new momentum in the Kingdom’s struggle to safeguard its territorial integrity and historic rights.

In July, French president Emmanuel Macron sent to King Mohammed VI a letter stating that the present and the future of the Sahara lie within the Kingdom’s sovereignty. Macron said France will act domestically and internationally in defense of this new position.

The French position, as a former colonial power, who has been involved in the ins and outs of Morocco’s partition, sent shockwaves in favor of Morocco’s decades-long struggle to win international recognition and redress the damage left by colonialism in the region.

The visit by Macron to Rabat end of last October added an economic aspect to the strengthened Moroccan-French ties, with the signing of investment projects worth over 10 billion euros, including some that cover the Sahara.

France thus became the second security council member to back Morocco on the Sahara issue after the US, amid a growing momentum in favor of the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat in 2007 as a lasting political solution to the artificial dispute.

Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, over 29 African countries, 19 EU countries and an increasing number of Latin American countries have backed Morocco’s autonomy plan.

In 2024, Chad became the 30th country to open a consulate in the Sahara territory, giving their support for Morocco’s historic rights a tangible aspect.

In Latin America, Morocco won in 2024 the support of Ecuador and Panama for the autonomy plan with both countries suspending ties with the Algeria-backed Polisario separatist group. The Dominican Republic took a similar decision.

As the year draws to a close, the Paraguayan parliament passed a resolution fully backing Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Sahara and urging the government to act accordingly.

Worth mentioning that the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino), the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur), and the Andean Parliament signed a joint declaration with Morocco to strengthen strategic relations and support Morocco’s geostrategic role.

At the UN, the security council adopted a new resolution renewing the mandate of the peace keeping mission while adopting a language that aligns with Morocco’s strategic goals to find a political solution to the conflict in line with the autonomy plan.

The resolution calls on Algeria to return to the round-table process and describes Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious and credible.

Morocco is expected to build on its achievements to bring the Sahara issue to a final close on the basis of an autonomy plan that is garnering support internationally.