UN Chief highlights in report to Security Council dynamics of Consulates’ opening in Sahara

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underlined in his annual report to the Security Council on the Sahara the opening, on August 14 in Dakhla, of Chad’s Consulate General, the 29th of its kind in the Kingdom’s southern provinces, which represents about 42% of the share of African countries.

This reference takes place in an international context where more than a hundred countries have expressed their support for the autonomy plan, proposed by Morocco, as the only solution for the settlement of the regional dispute over the Sahara.

For the third consecutive year, the Secretary-General’s report underlined the continued momentum of Consulates’ opening in the southern provinces of Morocco, highlighting not only the extent of international support for the Moroccanness of the Sahara, but also the attractiveness of the economic development undertaken by Morocco, encouraging the opening of these representations in this part of the Kingdom.

This diplomatic momentum, reflected in the Secretary-General’s report to the members of the Security Council, strengthens and reinforces Morocco’s position on the international scene, thus demonstrating that the Moroccan Sahara is increasingly establishing itself as a hub of development and stability in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and African regions.

It is worth recalling that the city of Dakhla alone hosts seventeen consulates, reinforcing its dual status as a diplomatic hub and a gateway to Africa, thanks to its future port (Dakhla Atlantique), which is set to become one of the largest in the region.

In addition to Chad, Dakhla also houses consular representations from French-speaking countries, namely Djibouti (February 2020), the Democratic Republic of Congo (December 2020), Senegal (April 2021), Togo (July 2022), Guinea (July 2023), as well as consular missions of English, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries on the continent,  including Gambia (January 2020), Liberia (March 2020), Equatorial Guinea (October 2020), Sierra Leone (August 2021), Guinea-Bissau (October 2021) and Cape Verde (August 2022), in addition to missions from two Caribbean states–Haiti (December 2020) and Suriname (May 2022)–as well as the Eastern Caribbean States Organization (with 7 member states) since March 2022. Moreover, the Dominican Republic also announced plans to open a consulate in the city.

Laayoune, on its part, hosts twelve consulates mainly those of French-speaking Comoros (December 2019), Gabon and Central African Republic (January 2020), Côte d’Ivoire and Burundi (February 2020). English-speaking African countries, such as Zambia and Eswatini (October 2020), and Malawi (July 2021) have also consulates in Laayoune, alongside the consular representation of Portuguese-speaking São Tomé and Príncipe (January 2020). Laayoune was also picked by several Arab states as host of their consulates. These include the United Arab Emirates (November 2020), Bahrain (December 2020) and Jordan (March 2021).

In his 20-page comprehensive report, the UN Chief also recommends extension of MINURSO mandate for one year, till October 31, 2025.

In the report, the UN secretary-general took stock of recent efforts and challenges in the search for a solution to the Sahara conflict, while highlighting the lack of cooperation on the part of the Polisario Front.