South African Party Recognizes Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Doha – The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party of South Africa, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has decisively rejected the Polisario Front and forcefully endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for the Sahara.

This bold stance directly confronts the long-held position of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has stubbornly backed the Algerian-sponsored militant faction.

The MK Party, commanding substantial influence as the third-largest political force in South Africa’s parliament with 58 seats, released a comprehensive 17-page document titled “South Africa & Morocco: A Strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation and Territorial Integrity.”

Founded in December 2023 by Zuma after his split from the ANC, the party’s text obliterates any legitimacy claims by the insurgent movement and firmly establishes Morocco’s historical rights.

“Western Sahara was a part of Morocco before Spanish colonization in the late 19th century,” declares the document. “The Moroccan claim predates colonization and is rooted in tribal allegiance to the Moroccan throne.”

The party’s position dismantles the secessionist narrative by emphasizing crucial historical context in the territorial dispute. It venerates Morocco’s 1975 Green March, when over 350,000 unarmed Moroccans triumphantly reclaimed the Sahara, as “a peaceful and powerful act of decolonization” and “a unique, non-violent liberation movement.”

Regarding Morocco’s autonomy initiative, the MK Party extols it as a “realistic alternative” that “allows for significant local governance by the Sahrawi people, while ensuring that Morocco retains its sovereignty over the region” – effectively entombing the Polisario’s antiquated and destabilizing breakaway agenda.

This development strikes another devastating blow to international support for the Cold War-era proxy group. Recently, Ghana and Kenya decisively withdrew their recognition of the Polisario, joining the overwhelming tide of African countries rightfully backing Morocco’s territorial integrity.

A break from isolationist policies, a move forward

The MK Party’s stance exposes the ever-starker isolated position of South Africa’s official foreign policy, now glaringly out of step with the continent’s shifting alliances and aspirations.

While the ANC under President Cyril Ramaphosa doggedly clings to supporting the Algerian-backed insurgents, the MK Party’s position signals profound fissures in South African politics regarding the Sahara dispute.

Jacob Zuma had previously met with King Mohammed VI during the 2017 African Union-European Union summit in Abidjan, a meeting that triggered backlash from hardliners within the ANC.

The MK Party now frames its support for Morocco partly as reciprocation for historical ties, noting that “Morocco was the first country to land financial and military support to uMkhonto weSizwe in 1962.”

The document vigorously advocates for strengthened bilateral relations between South Africa and Morocco across multiple domains, including diplomatic cooperation, economic development, and security coordination.

It calls for establishing “bilateral dialogue frameworks” and supporting “joint ventures in infrastructure, industry, energy, agriculture, tourism and digital transformation.”

South Africa currently grapples with its own dissident movement in the Cape region, exposing the paradoxical nature of its official stance on territorial integrity issues elsewhere on the continent.

This mirrors Algeria’s double standards, which label the MAK movement as a terrorist threat while considering the Polisario an ally, despite its involvement in armed activities denounced as terrorism by numerous NGOs. Both cases indicate a troubling double standard in how the two countries approach self-determination claims.

The ANC government had hastily recognized the self-proclaimed paper entity of “SADR” in 2004, prompting Morocco to sever diplomatic relations in response.

International observers have described international recognition of Rabat’s sovereignty over the Sahara as “irreversible,” highlighting that approximately 120 countries now support Morocco’s position globally, leaving the armed faction increasingly ostracized.

Meanwhile, the Polisario’s contested seat within the African Union is under growing scrutiny. According to diplomatic sources, the question of expelling the front from the continental body is being discussed “more frequently” with African partners, suggesting the issue will resurface “tôt ou tard” (sooner or later).

The MK Party’s document concludes by envisioning the alliance between Pretoria and Rabat as “a significant chapter in the African renaissance” and “a model for how African nations can internally build a brighter future — by Africans and for Africans,” leaving no room for divisive paramilitary agendas.