Doha – Colombian lawmakers have firmly recommitted to backing Morocco’s territorial integrity, openly defying their government’s stance on the Western Sahara issue.
During the 3rd South-South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum held Monday in Rabat, Colombian Congress President Efraín José Cepeda Sarabia made his position clear.
“I want to reaffirm that Parliament, as the legitimate representative of the Colombian people, supports Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejects the ill-advised position of the Colombian government,” Cepeda declared at the forum hosted by Morocco’s Chamber of Counselors.
The congress president explicitly rejected his government’s recognition of the Polisario Front, noting that Colombia’s senate had already adopted two motions affirming Morocco’s legitimate and sovereign right over its Sahara region.
Cepeda, who also serves as first vice-president of the Christian Democratic Organization of America, pledged continued legislative support for Morocco, which he described as Colombia’s “ally.”
He recalled the establishment of a Morocco-Colombia parliamentary friendship group in the senate, designed to strengthen “strategic” cooperation between both countries’ legislative bodies.
Colombia’s congressional resistance began in October 2022, when President Gustavo Petro made the controversial decision in August to revive a 1985 joint statement with the separatist group. Shortly after, 62 out of 108 senators voted against restoring diplomatic ties with Polisario.
The trend of legislative support strengthened in November 2023, when 65 out of 105 senators approved a motion backing Morocco’s territorial integrity.
In that document, senators categorically distanced themselves from President Petro’s position, affirming it “in no way represents the position of Colombians towards Morocco.”
This latest stance reinforces a position Colombian lawmakers have maintained since last February, when Cepeda met with Moroccan Ambassador Farida Loudaya.
During that encounter, he revealed that President Gustavo Petro’s recognition of the separatist group faced overwhelming opposition.
“That recognition was rejected by more than seventy percent of the Senate of the Republic,” Cepeda stated at the February meeting.
Colombian political leaders are increasingly viewing Morocco as a strategic partner in Africa and the Arab world, with many pointing to the detrimental impact of the diplomatic rift on cooperation in crucial sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, and tourism.
The parliamentary pushback reflects broader regional diplomatic shifts, as several South American nations have withdrawn support for the separatist group.
Ecuador suspended recognition of the self-proclaimed “SADR” in October 2024, with Panama following suit the next month.
Meanwhile, bilateral trade between Morocco and Colombia reached $350 million in 2022, with Colombia exporting coal, coffee, and chemical products while Morocco supplied fertilizers and agricultural products to the Colombian market.
The two-day forum in Rabat serves as a platform to showcase investment opportunities and promote South-South cooperation to enhance regional integration and expand trade possibilities.
