Rabat – The UK government is clinging to its traditional position of supporting the UN-led efforts to reach a political solution that “will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer reiterated this stance on January 17 while answering an MP’s question about the potential impact that London’s noncommittal position on Western Sahara could have on UK-Morocco ties.
Falconer said the UK will continue to support the UN-led political efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise.
The UK believes that such a compromise-based solution “will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara,” adding that the UK also supports the UN Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura, he argued.
“The UK believes this process is the best way to solve the long-standing dispute by delivering a solution agreeable to all parties.”
The remarks come amid growing momentum for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, which has to date received a nod from over 113 countries in the UN as the most serious and credible political pathway to a mutually acceptable and lasting political solution in the Western Sahara region.
Read also: British MP Reiterates Call For UK To Support Morocco’s Western Sahara Position
Amid this momentum, the UK has frequently acknowledged Morocco’s serious efforts in the UN-led political process without embracing Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the path forward.
This position is in stark contrast with the stance of many British MPs, who have been urging their government to follow in the steps of the US in recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
Andrew Murrison, a member of the UK House of Commons, has urged the UK to adopt a similar position as the US and other countries that explicitly express support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
He said during a parliamentary debate that the autonomy initiative represents the “only credible option” to end the dispute.
For him, the UK “must align itself” with these countries by establishing a consular and cultural presence in Laayoune and Dakhla.
Many other MPs reiterated the same appeal.
More than 30 MPs and Peers addressed a letter to the UK government in May last year, urging for the timely recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
But Falconer’s latest comments suggest the UK has no plans in the near future to move away from its stance of appreciating or applauding Morocco’s “credible efforts” in the Sahara without recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the region.
