Washington, 14 June 2021 (SPS) – In recent days, Morocco has suffered multiple diplomatic setbacks with regard to the Sahrawi question. It has gradually lost the American support expressed last December by former US President Donald Trump and has seen the European countries rejecting its alleged sovereignty over the Sahrawi territories.
The latest setback came from the US Congress, which blocked the inauguration of a consulate in occupied Dakhla and an operation of armed drones sale as well.
This decision comes a few days after the US State Department spoke of a change of approach by the Biden administration regarding the Sahrawi question.
Last December, the former American president has announced his recognition of Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara, in return for the normalization of relations between Morocco and the Zionist entity, an ally of the United States.
According to the Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the congressional foreign affairs committee questioned the need for the opening of a consulate in the occupied territories.
The drones that Morocco was to buy from the United States were also part of the agreement with Donald Trump, but members of the American Congress considered that these technologically very advanced weapons "should not be provided to Morocco."
A few days earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said her country did not recognize Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara and Moscow's position vis-à-vis the Sahrawi cause "has not changed".
"The final settlement of the conflict can only be achieved through the application of the relevant decisions issued by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council in accordance with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter."
Moreover, the European Parliament adopted on June 10th a Resolution in which it criticized Morocco's use of the migration issue for political purposes, in reference to the fact that the kingdom allowed last May thousands of migrants, many of them unaccompanied minors, to enter Spanish territories in reaction to the hospitalization of Saharawi president, Brahim Ghali in Spain.
The Parliament said it "rejects Morocco's use of border control and migration, and unaccompanied minors in particular," as a way of putting "political pressure [on] a Member State of the EU, [namely Spain]." The resolution was approved by the EU chamber with 397 votes in favor, 85 against and 196 abstentions.
The resolution went on to deplore "in particular, the participation of children, unaccompanied minors and families in the mass crossing of the border from Morocco to the Spanish city of Ceuta, putting their lives and safety at clear risk."
It also recalled that "the Moroccan foreign minister recognized that the massive entry of thousands of people, including children, resulted directly from the fact that the leader of the Polisario Front had been welcomed in Spain." "In an official statement published subsequently, the Moroccan authorities said that real reason was the position deemed ambiguous of Spain on Western Sahara".
The Parliament "recalls that the protection and security of Ceuta concern the whole of the European Union because the autonomous city is part of its external borders.” (SPS)
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