Colombia’s government announced on Wednesday the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with the Algeria-based self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
A statement from Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the “validity of the Joint Communique signed with the Polisario on February 27, 1985.”
The announcement came a few days after the inauguration of incoming President Gustavo Petro. The former rebel was sworn in as Colombia’s president last week.
A former member of Colombia’s M19 guerilla group, which transformed into a political party in the 1990s, the former guerilla won the election in June by beating conservative parties.
Founded in 1974, The former guerilla group is known as the April 19 Movement. The group gained notoriety after attacks on companies and embassies before it demobilized in 1989, and became a legal political party.
Colombia and the self-proclaimed SADR had first established relations in 1985 under the government of Belisario Bentancur. However, relations were frozen in 2001 during Andres Pastrana’s presidency.
Algerian political analyst Oualid Kebir downplayed the significance of the move, pointing to the incoming president’s rebel origins as a likely reason for the decision.
“After the election of the leftist Gustavo Petro, the former member of the Guerilla group ‘M19,’which later turned into a political party…. Colombia decides to recognize the fictitious republic,” he lamented.
The Algerian analyst however, emphasized that such a move will have no impact on Morocco’s position on Western Sahara, or the quest to find an acceptable political resolution to the dispute.
Many African countries, part of over 24 countries from across the world, opened consulates general in southern Morocco in Laayoune and Dakhla to reflect their support for the country’s territorial integrity.
Rabat’s position was further strengthened after the US officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara region, as well as Spain’s recent official endorsement of the country’s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible solution to end the dispute.
Algeria’s regime, which backs, finances, arms, and shelters the Polisario Front in the Tindouf desert region, recently sent officials to Colombia to cement diplomatic ties with Bogota’s incoming administration after consecutive conservative governments in Colombia had avoided contact with the North African separatist group.
Algeria’s government sent Brahim Boughali, president of its National People’s Assembly, to attend Petro’s Inauguration.
The Algerian official held meetings with both the President of the Colombian senate and the country’s foreign affairs minister.
