Sahara: Will Mauritania join countries having consulates in Moroccan Sahara?

Mauritanian tribal leaders have handed over to Mauritania’s ambassador to Morocco Ahmed Ould Bahi a letter requesting the opening of a Mauritanian consulate in Laayoune to facilitate administrative services for Mauritanians living in the Moroccan southern provinces.

The request of the Mauritanian notables was conveyed to their country’s diplomat during a meeting held lately at the Mauritanian embassy in Rabat. The move builds on the excellent Moroccan-Mauritanian relations which are based on mutual respect, shared history, and the deep social and tribal ties between the two peoples.

Despite its neutral standing on the Moroccan Sahara, the recent opening of the border crossing point between Moroccan city of Smara and Bir Moghrein in Mauritania reflects Nouakchott’s position and response to growing international support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory.

According to experts, the opening of a new southern border crossing point between Morocco and Mauritania also shows Nouakchott’s tendency to follow suit of other countries seeking peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

In November, the government of Mauritania has refused a request from the Algeria-backed Polisario militias to establish a consulate or embassy in Nouakchott, dealing hard blow to the separatist group and its Algerian supporters.

The Mauritanian decision comes after the latest historic resolution adopted by the UN Security Council endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara under the Kingdom’s sovereignty.

Mauritania has always been cautious in its ties with Polisario. Although Nouakchott recognized the self-proclaimed SADR in 1984, this recognition remained purely symbolic and never evolved into effective diplomatic relations.

After the military coup of July 10, 1979 that ousted the first civilian Mauritanian president Moktar Ould Daddah, the junta had signed a peace agreement with the Polisario, withdrew from the Madrid Agreements of November 14, 1975, and pledged to establish diplomatic relations with pseudo-SADR. But the pledge remains unfulfilled.