The opening comes a week after Liberian FM confirmed his country’s intention to inaugurate a consulate in the region.
Rabat – Morocco continues to reap diplomatic achievements in Western Sahara amid frustration from both Algeria and the Polisario Front, as Liberia opened a general consulate in the southern Morocco city of Dakhla today, March 12.
The opening comes just a week after Liberian Foreign Affairs Minister Gbezohngar Milton Findley promised the opening of a diplomatic representation in Dakhla
Findley co-chaired the inauguration ceremony with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.
The opening is the fourth of its kind in the city of Dakhla. The other African states with general consulates in Dakhla are Djibouti, Gambia, and Guinea.
At the regional level, the opening is the tenth of its kind. Cote D’Ivoire, Burundi, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, and Comoros have also opened general consulates in Laayoune.
The openings reflect the unwavering support of the African states for Morocco’s territorial integrity over Laayoune and Dakhla.
Morocco has been defending its sovereignty in Western Sahara for years against the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s (SADR) breakaway Polisario Front and its key backer, Algeria.
The Algerian government and Polisario have been releasing hostile statements, condemning the African countries with diplomatic representations in the region.
Algeria and Polisario argue that the openings are “flagrant violations.”
Read Also: US Official Unveils Algeria’s Obsession with Western Sahara Conflict
In response, the Moroccan FM vowed that more countries will join the list of states that opened consulates in the region.
“Those who prepare to write press releases [against Morocco] and call back their ambassador for consultation must continue on this path,” Bourita asserted.
The response referenced Algeria’s move to recall its ambassador from Cote d’Ivoire after the West African state inaugurated a general consulate in Laayoune.
During the inauguration ceremony in February, the Ivorian Minister for African Integration, Ally Coulibaly, described his country’s decision as “sovereign.”
“In foreign policy, as in other fields, we are careful not to give moral lessons, nor do we want to be told what to do or not to do,” said the minister in a speech, implicitly referencing the Algerian pressure on his country.
