The Moroccan Sahara will bloom: Christopher Nolan's filming in Dakhla puts the seal of approval to the region's development and future
The same camps from which there have been reports of gross human rights violations, diversion of aid and rioting. This is because the separatist Polisario Front that runs the camps with Algeria's support virtually treats them like prisons. Till date the Polsario has refused to conduct a census in these camps despite being repeatedly urged to do so.
The point here is that the Moroccan Sahara issue – which is a leftover baggage from Morocco's colonial history – continues to be used by external forces for their own vested interests. And in this process, these external actors completely eschew facts. For example, they will not tell you that 19th century European colonial powers had hived off the Moroccan Sahara from Morocco proper. In fact, Spain and France actually had through their own arrangement created their own spheres of influence in Morocco.
They will also not tell you that when Morocco became independent in 1956 it vowed to recover its Sahara provinces which were still under Spanish colonial control. In fact, the speech of Morocco's erstwhile monarch, King Mohammed V, grandfather of current King Mohammed VI, at M'hamid al-Ghizlan in 1958 saw him pledge to the Sahrawi tribal chiefs that he would work to recover the Sahara in keeping with Morocco's historical rights.
Recall also that in 1963 Morocco itself brought the Sahara issue to the UN, asking the international body to recognise the Sahara as a non-governing territory to be decolonised by Spain. Then there is the selective amnesia of the 1963 Sand War between Morocco and Algeria. It was due to this conflict that Algeria adopted a strategy of hemming in Morocco through asymmetric means.
The latter included supporting, arming and funding a separatist Sahrawi group called the Polisario Front. The Polisario simply wouldn't have sustained without Algeria's material and diplomatic backing.
And it was solely to undermine Morocco that the Polisario was egged on by Algeria to carry out an armed struggle against Rabat under the guise of seeking independence for the Sahara. A UN brokered ceasefire between the two sides in 1991 also lays bares Polisario's duplicity.
It has never created the conditions for a referendum nor taken care of the refugees in its Tindouf camps. Ideally, Polisario should release the inmates in those camps. The Polisario leadership has simply been pawns in Algiers' hands. And yet they continue to wear the garb of 'independence'.
The Moroccan Sahara provinces are legally and historically Moroccan. The 1975 Madrid Accords divided the Moroccan Sahara between Morocco and Mauritania. But Mauritania gave up its claims in 1979, leaving only Morocco's legitimate claims intact. Since then Morocco, under King Mohammed VI, whose Throne Day is today (July 30), has proposed an Autonomy Plan for the Sahara which devolves significant political powers to the region but under Moroccan sovereignty.
The plan has growing international support with the US officially declaring it as the only solution to the Sahara issue under Moroccan sovereignty. Similarly, both France and Spain are now onboard with the Autonomy Plan. Portugal too recently reiterated its support for Rabat's position and the UK has called the plan credible.
In turn, Morocco has made huge investments in the Sahara provinces to develop local economy, tourism, agriculture and fisheries. Many countries already have their consulates in Sahara cities. And Dakhla where Nolan was shooting is a hot tourism destination for European travellers.
Taken together, Morocco's position on the Moroccan Sahara is clear and transparent. The manipulations are being carried out by Algeria and Polisario. Nolan should be applauded for filming in Dakhla. Hopefully it will open the door to more Hollywood and European productions in the region. A minority of people must not be allowed to hold the future of the Moroccan Sahara hostage.
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Hindustan Times
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