UK joins US, France in backing Morocco autonomy plan for West Sahara
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy considers Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara to be the 'most credible". PHOTO: REUTERS
RABAT - The UK backed Morocco's plan to administer the disputed territory of Western Sahara, in a historic shift mirroring moves by France and the US.
London considers Morocco's proposal, under which it would keep sovereignty over the territory while granting it limited autonomy, the 'most credible, viable and pragmatic basis' to resolve the half-century dispute, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said June 1.
'A resolution is long overdue' to ensure a better future for the people of the region, Mr Lammy told reporters in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. The UK is also boosting economic ties with the North African kingdom, he said. A resolution must be secured this year 'before we reach 50 years in the dispute in November,' he added.
A vast swath of coastline and desert that's larger than the UK, the Western Sahara has been bitterly contested since Spanish colonial forces withdrew in 1975 and Morocco marched in. Sporadic clashes with the independence-seeking Polisario Front claimed about 9,000 lives over 16 years.
A three-decade ceasefire collapsed in late 2020. Shortly afterward, US President Donald Trump's administration backed Morocco's claim to the territory in a deal that also saw Rabat agree to restore diplomatic ties with Israel.
France followed suit last summer and has indicated economic development of the sparsely populated but resource-rich area should be a priority.
'We are raising the threshold of our joint ambitions,' Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said on June 1, speaking alongside Mr Lammy.
The two said areas of cooperation would include the UK helping fund investments in Western Sahara, as well as defence, security and scientific research.
The UK's change of stance and new economic and cultural cooperation agreements will unlock public procurement opportunities for UK firms across Morocco and 'ensure British businesses score big on football's biggest stage,' Mr Lammy said, referring to the Fifa World Cup Morocco will co-host in 2030.
Morocco and the UK are 'beginning a new era' in their partnership anchored by a relationship between the two kingdoms that lasted more than 800 years, Mr Lammy added. BLOOMBERG
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