Rabat – In addition to its unwavering support for the Autonomy Plan as a good basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara, El Salvador is discussing with Rabat the possibility of opening a consulate general in the city of Laayoune.
On Monday, Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa reiterated his country’s support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative during a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart in Quito, Ecuador, where the Moroccan official represented King Mohammed VI at the inauguration ceremony of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed the “possibility of opening a consulate” in El Salvador in the Moroccan southern city.
The move is seen as a “key step” in recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
The two countries also reviewed bilateral ties, reaffirming their commitment to boosting diplomatic and bilateral cooperation and ties.
In 2019, El Salvador withdrew its recognition of the self-styled SADR, announcing support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Breaking all contact with the separatist group, the country has also been reiterating its unwavering and steadfast support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
In February this year, the vice president of El Salvador made a similar statement, stressing that this country strengthened cooperation relations with Morocco from 2019.
Ties were “further solidified with the opening of the embassy in Rabat in 2022. These steps have marked an important phase in El Salvador’s foreign policy,” he said, noting that similar levels of ties is a renewal of the country’s commitment to supporting Morocco’s sovereignty over all of its territory, including it’s provinces in the Sahara.
Laayoune and Dakhla as hubs of support
El Salvador will join at least 30 countries from different regions across the world, which have decided to open consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla to reflect their unwavering support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces.
Dakhla hosts consulate representatives from several countries, including Haiti, Suriname, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cape Verde, Djibouti, and Burkina Faso.
The region also hosts the representative of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
As for Laayoune, the region hosts Jordanian representative, as well as consulates of Bahrain, UAE, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Comores, Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The growing momentum supporting Morocco’s territorial integrity also reflects an international shift in understanding the dispute – particularly among countries that were previously uncertain or hesitant to join the trend.
Some countries were puzzled by the dispute due to Algeria’s lobbying attempts and maneuvers, portraying the separatist group as a victim of colonization through its diplomatic maneuvers and lobbying despite clear legal and historical evidence affirming that the region has always been an integral part of Morocco.
Breaking Algeria’s deep-rooted support for separatism
Recent developments, including international calls, have exposed Algeria’s deep-rooted support for separatism and interference in the domestic affairs of other countries.
Notably, many politicians have been calling on their countries to designate the Polisario Front not just as a separatist group but a terrorist organization due to its ties to Sahel-based drug traffickers and its terrorist acts against Morocco.
The clear vision is contributing to breaking long-held stereotypes, encouraging many other countries to reconsider their positions.
A notable example is Kenya, which has recently joined a group of 113 countries that view Morocco s Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible political solution.
“The Republic of Kenya considers the autonomy plan as the only sustainable approach for resolving the Sahara issue and intends to cooperate with like-minded states to promote its implementation,” a joint statement said on Monday.
The statement came following talks between Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita and Kenya’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
Kenya had been a steadfast supporter of the Polisario Front. But in 2022, President Ruto signaled that his country would no longer recognize SADR. The announcement was soon deleted from X, where the President announced the news, but the message is still clear about the shift.
Read Also: Western Sahara: Has Moroccan Diplomacy Really Failed in Kenya?
Moroccan political observers have predicted Kenya’s upcoming support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, including Moroccan foreign policy expert Samir Bennis.
In a statement on X, Bennis stressed that this prediction has grown further when Kenya abstained from voting on UN Security Council Resolution 2654 of October 2022.
“Today, Kenya has officially declared that Morocco’s autonomy initiative represents the ‘only sustainable approach’ to resolving the Western Sahara dispute,” Bennis wrote, noting that this development represents a resounding blow to Algeria’s military regime.
For the analyst, the announcement marks a turning point in the diplomatic landscape surrounding the dispute, as it also reflects the total collapse and failure of the separatist agenda run and sponsored by Algeria.
Even before Kenya explicitly expressed support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, the country signaled that it was leaning toward a change.
“With Kenya joining the growing list of countries backing Morocco’s position, our country is closer than ever to turning this page for good,” the analyst added.
Following Ruto’s inauguration as president, officials from Kenya signaled potential stronger ties with Rabat.
Algeria’s regime, however, continued its maneuvers to maintain its influence. Observers, however, have long seen Kenya’s new position coming as the country has been looking for credible partners that would support its ambitions in areas like agriculture and security.
