Western Sahara : Polisario urges Morocco to withdraw autonomy plan
The Polisario Front is calling for Morocco to withdraw its autonomy initiative for Western Sahara. This demand was voiced by the movement's newly appointed «Minister of Foreign Affairs», Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, in an interview with a Portuguese media outlet, as reported by the Polisario's press.
«Morocco must seek the support of the Sahrawi people and abandon its autonomy proposal if it wishes to resolve the Western Sahara issue», Beissat stated, adding that «this kind of diplomatic campaign [in favor of autonomy, ed.] once again illustrates Morocco's lack of political will to reach a peaceful and genuine solution in line with international law».
His remarks come at a time when several countries, including Moldova and Croatia, have recently expressed support for Morocco's autonomy plan, describing it as a «serious and credible» basis for resolving the regional conflict.
The Trump administration also reaffirmed its position on April 8, stating: «the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute».
Amid growing international backing for the Moroccan proposal, the Polisario's «Minister of the Interior», Brahim Bachir Bouilla, acknowledged in a recent interview with an Algerian outlet that «the Moroccan autonomy plan is one option among others on the table».
Beissat's latest statement underscores the strategic divisions within the separatist movement, as it struggles to maintain a unified position in the face of increasing support for Morocco's plan.
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