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Join on Telegram Sao Tome and Principe reiterated today its unwavering support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ilza Maria dos Santos made her remarks during her meeting with her counterpart Nasser Bourita in Rabat.
The visit marks her first visit in her capacity as a foreign minister. During her visit, the minister held talks with her counterpart Nasser Bourita.
“We reaffirm Sao Tome’s firm position on the Sahara issue and Morocco’s sovereignty over all its territories, including the Sahara,” the foreign minister said.
She noted that her country reiterates our support for the Autonomy Plan. For the minister, the autonomy initiative presents a realistic solution to the dispute.
Read also: Belgium Renews Support for Autonomy Plan, Seeks Enhanced Partnership with Rabat
She also highlighted King Mohammed VI’s leadership and efforts. Maria dos Santos also expressed her country’s support for the UN-led political solution as the sole framework for achieving a sustainable and realistic solution to the dispute.
Sao Tome and Principe is among dozens of African countries that opened consulates in Morocco’s southern provinces of Dakhla and Laayoune. The openings reflect the momentum that has been gaining in the international community in favor of its cause.
Sao Tome and Principe inaugurated its consulate general in Laayoune in 2020. The number of consulates in Morocco’s southern provinces reached at least 29 representations, with Dakhla hosting 17 representations.
Last year, Foreign Affairs Minister Bourita recalled the momentum of consulate openings in Laayoune and Dakhla, saying that the southern provinces now host diplomatic missions representing nearly 40% of African Union member states.
He noted that “only 28 countries continue to recognize this fictitious entity,” noting that nearly 50 countries revoked recognition over the past two decades.
