International Community Renews Support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan

Rabat – Multiple countries, including Senegal, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, and the Dominican Republic, have expressed their unwavering support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, emphasizing that it represents the only credible and realistic solution for resolving the long-standing territorial dispute.

During the annual meeting of the UN Committee of 24 (C24) held today June 19 in New York, the countries highlighted the plan’s credibility and potential to resolve the longstanding dispute.

Bahrain reiterated its “firm and united” stance in support of Morocco’s territorial integrity. Bahrain’s representative, Alyaa Sayed Salman, emphasized her country’s unwavering solidarity with Morocco in safeguarding its security and territorial integrity.

She reaffirmed Bahrain’s support for Morocco’s sincere endeavors to find a political solution to the Western Sahara dispute based on the autonomy initiative, within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Burkina Faso also reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative, considering it a “credible and realistic” solution to the regional dispute.

Aminata Ouattara Cisse, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso, highlighted the initiative’s “serious and credible nature,” as recognized by the Security Council.

She emphasized that the autonomy plan aligns with international law, the UN Charter, and the resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

The diplomat also praised the efforts made by the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura to facilitate the relaunch of the political process, recalling the informal bilateral consultations he held last March in New York with all the parties concerned.

Burundi’s permanent representative to the UN, Zephyrin Maniratanga, expressed his country’s support for the UN-led process saying, “My delegation strongly supports the ongoing political process, held under the exclusive auspices of the UN Secretary-General, aimed at reaching a political, realistic, lasting, mutually acceptable and negotiated solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara.”

Maniratanga stressed the importance of realism and a spirit of compromise in line with Security Council resolutions dating back to 2007.

Additionally, the Dominican Republic reiterated its support for Morocco’s efforts to find a “credible and acceptable” political solution to the regional dispute, with emphasis on the autonomy initiative as the foundation for such a settlement.

The representative of the Dominican Republic acknowledged the crucial role played by the UN Secretary-General in facilitating a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict through the promotion of dialogue and negotiations among the involved parties.

The growing international endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan reflects its perceived viability and legitimacy in addressing the complexities surrounding the Western Sahara issue.

Notably, countries such as the United States, Malta, Cape Verde, Ukraine, Sierra Leone, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands have recently lent their support to the autonomy plan.