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Russia Today
25 minutes ago
- Business
- Russia Today
UK backs controversial autonomy offer for African region
The UK has endorsed Morocco's plan to grant limited autonomy to Western Sahara, ending decades of official neutrality in one of the most protracted territorial disputes in the North African region. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the shift during a visit to Morocco's capital, Rabat, on Sunday, where he met with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, and signed a series of cooperation agreements, including in infrastructure, healthcare, and water management. 'The UK… considers Morocco's autonomy proposal, submitted in 2007 as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute,' Lammy said, according to a joint statement published on the British government's website following the talks. The Western Sahara conflict has persisted since Morocco annexed the territory in 1975 following Spain's withdrawal. A UN-brokered ceasefire was established in 1991, but efforts to hold a referendum on the region's status have stalled. In April 2007, Morocco submitted its Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara to the UN Security Council. According to the proposal, Rabat intends to delegate administrative, legislative, and judicial powers to local residents while retaining the Moroccan flag and currency. Morocco would also be in charge of the phosphate-rich region's foreign policy, security, and defense. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, has pushed for full independence and seeks a UN-backed referendum – an idea Morocco has rejected. A year ago, a group of British lawmakers wrote to then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron, urging the government to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the sparsely populated region. They described Rabat's proposal as the 'only realistic and pragmatic' option, noting its consistency with British trade policy and regional stability goals. On Sunday, the UK foreign secretary said a resolution to the Western Sahara dispute is long overdue, adding that it 'would strengthen the stability of North Africa and the relaunch of the bilateral dynamic and regional integration.' The move makes the UK the third permanent member of the UN Security Council, after the US and France, to support Rabat's position. Algeria, which supports an independent Sahrawi state, said on Sunday it 'regrets the choice made by the United Kingdom to support the Moroccan autonomy plan.' It accused Morocco of attempting to use the proposal to delay a political settlement and legitimize 'the illegal occupation of Western Sahara.' The former French colony previously responded strongly to similar endorsements, withdrawing its ambassador from Paris after France backed Morocco's autonomy plan in 2024.
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Western Sahara conflict builds up as Morocco gains support from the UK
France, in July 2024, noted that it was siding with Morocco on the matter of its sovereignty over the small country of Western Sahara. This support was to the detriment of Algeria, which also lays claim to the small North African territory. France declared its support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in July 2024. The United Kingdom joined France in backing Morocco's proposal for limited autonomy for Western Sahara. Morocco's claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara is endorsed by several Western nations, strengthening diplomatic ties with Morocco. Recent reports indicate that other Western powerhouses have also followed in France's footsteps, opting to support the Moroccan side in its quest to seize administrative control of Western Sahara. The United Kingdom is the latest country to throw its weight behind Morocco, whereby it would have authority over the region while providing it with limited autonomy. The UK via its Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, noted that this move was the 'most credible and viable and pragmatic basis' to resolve the half-century dispute over the region between its neighbours, and other players. In the last year alone, given France's support of Morocco's claim to the region, Algeria, which also aims to gain autonomy over Western Sahara, has been at odds with the Western European nation. In July 2024, an open letter from France to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Emmanuel Macron declared that the "only basis" for resolving the conflict was Morocco's 2007 proposal to provide Western Sahara limited autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. The UK seems to share this sentiment as Lammy stated that 'a resolution is long overdue.' The Foreign Minister, in the same breath, noted that the UK would be strengthening its commercial ties with the monarchy of Morocco, according to a Bloomberg report. The Western Sahara, which is a huge area of desert and coastline, has been the subject of intense conflict since Morocco invaded after Spanish colonial forces left in 1975. Over 16 years, sporadic skirmishes with the Polisario Front, which sought independence, cost almost 9,000 lives. Late in 2020, a three-decade truce broke down. Shortly thereafter, the administration of US President Donald Trump supported Morocco's claim to the region in an agreement that also saw Rabat consent to reestablish diplomatic relations with Israel. France's damaged relationship with Algeria and the Western Sahara dispute As mentioned above, in July 2024, France aligned with Morocco against Algeria over the sovereignty of the small Western Sahara republic. Algeria responded sharply to France's decision by withdrawing its ambassador in August of that year. Since then, a succession of arrests, expulsions, and public pronouncements have strained the relationship between the two countries.
France 24
11 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
UK latest country to back Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
British foreign minister David Lammy said on Sunday that Morocco 's autonomy plan for the territory of Western Sahara was the "most credible" solution to the decades-long dispute, reversing London's long-standing position. Western Sahara, a mineral-rich former Spanish colony, is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed in its entirety for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is backed by Algeria. Morocco has been campaigning for broad support for its autonomy plan after obtaining US recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed territory in 2020, in exchange for the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Israel. "The United Kingdom considers Morocco's autonomy proposal submitted in 2007 as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute," Lammy told reporters in Rabat. Britain previously backed self-determination for the disputed territory, which Morocco claims as an integral part of its kingdom. Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita welcomed the shift, saying the new British position contributed "greatly to advancing this momentum and promoting the UN path towards a definitive and mutually acceptable solution based on the autonomy initiative." Growing European support Rabat's push for support for its autonomy plan has seen success. Spain and Germany now officially back the Moroccan autonomy plan, while France last summer recognised Morocco's sovereignty over the territory. Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front and cut diplomatic relations with Rabat in 2021, said it "regrets" Britain's decision on Sunday to support Morocco's autonomy plan. "In 18 years of existence, this plan has never been submitted to the Sahrawis as a basis for negotiation, nor has it ever been taken seriously by the successive UN envoys," the Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement. The United Nations considers Western Sahara a "non-self-governing territory" and has had a peacekeeping mission there since 1991, whose stated aim is to organise a referendum on the territory's future. But Rabat has repeatedly ruled out any vote where independence is an option, instead proposing an autonomy plan. "This year is a vital window of opportunity to secure a resolution before we reach 50 years of the dispute in November," Lammy said. The foreign minister also said it encouraged "relevant parties to engage urgently and positively with the United Nations-led political process". The ceasefire collapsed in mid-November 2020 after Moroccan troops were deployed to the far south of the territory to remove separatists blocking the only route to Mauritania - a route they claimed was illegal, as it did not exist in 1991. The UN Security Council is calling for negotiations without preconditions, while Morocco insists they focus solely on its autonomy plan. "The only viable and durable solution will be one that is mutually acceptable to the relevant parties and is arrived at through compromise," added Lammy. In a joint statement, the United Kingdom noted that its export credit agency, UK Export Finance, may consider supporting projects in the Sahara as part of its commitment to mobilise 5 billion British pounds (approximately 5.9 billion euros) for new economic initiatives in Morocco.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
UK swings behind Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara
The UK has thrown its weight behind Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, marking a shift in Britain's position on one of Africa's longest-running territorial disputes. Speaking during a visit to Rabat on Sunday, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, said Britain considered Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal 'the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis' for resolving the dispute. The UK has previously said the status of the disputed territory in north-west Africa remains 'undetermined', while supporting 'self-determination' for 'the people of Western Sahara'. The disputed region has a population of about 600,000 people, and is considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN. While Morocco controls most of the territory, the Algerian-backed Polisario front control land in the east of the territory and want full independence from Rabat. Under Morocco's autonomy plan, Western Sahara would remain under Rabat's sovereignty, but with a degree of self-rule. The US recognised Morocco's claim over Western Sahara in 2020 during Trump's first administration. France followed suit last year, along with Spain in 2021. 'The UK will continue to act bilaterally, including economically, regionally and internationally in line with this position to support the resolution of the conflict,' Lammy said after talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. The region has been contested since 1975, when Spain withdrew from its former colony, sparking a conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. A UN-brokered ceasefire was reached in 1991, with promises of a referendum on the territory's future that has never materialised. Talks have since stalled, and in 2020 the Polisario declared the truce over, accusing Morocco of violating its terms. Algeria, a key regional player, has previously criticised Rabat's plan and US support for the proposals. Bourita described the UK's endorsement as part of 'a momentum to speed up the solution of the conflict'. He said British investments in Western Sahara were under discussion. The two countries also signed cooperation deals on healthcare, innovation, ports, water infrastructure and procurement. Lammy said the partnerships would allow 'British businesses to score big on football's biggest stage', a reference to Morocco's preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The UN still officially supports a negotiated solution that would allow the people of Western Sahara to decide whether to become independent or remain part of Morocco.
Roya News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
British FM says Morocco's autonomy plan for W. Sahara 'most credible' solution
British foreign minister David Lammy said on Sunday that Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory of Western Sahara was the "most credible" solution to the decades long dispute, reversing London's long-standing position. Speaking in Rabat, Lammy said Morocco's 2007 plan represented "the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute". Britain previously backed self-determination for the former Spanish colony, which Morocco claims as an integral part of its kingdom. He urged all parties involved in the dispute to 'urgently and constructively engage in the political process led by the United Nations' to reach a solution. The statement marks a shift in the UK's position. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Britain had previously supported efforts to achieve a political solution that ensures the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita welcomed the UK's new stance, saying it would 'significantly strengthen momentum and push forward the UN-led process toward a final, mutually agreed solution based on the autonomy initiative.' Morocco views its autonomy plan — which proposes self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty — as the only viable solution to the dispute over Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that the UN classifies as a 'non-self-governing territory.' The Algeria-backed Polisario Front continues to demand full independence. Morocco controls most of the contested territory, where the conflict has persisted for nearly 50 years. In October 2024, the UN Security Council renewed its call for Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania to resume negotiations aimed at reaching a 'durable and mutually acceptable' resolution.
