Haiti, Guinea, and France Deliver a Diplomatic Trifecta for Morocco’s Sahara in Rabat

Marrakech – For Morocco, the Western Sahara dossier has long served as the definitive prism through which Rabat appraises the depth and sincerity of its partnerships.

That prism refracted today with rare clarity as three nations – spanning the Caribbean, West Africa, and Western Europe – delivered unequivocal declarations of support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. Speaking within hours of one another on the sidelines of the 2nd Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments, all three countries emphasized the irreversibility of the growing Moroccan momentum on the Sahara file.

Co-chaired by Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, the peacekeeping conference convened more than 60 delegations – 26 at the ministerial level – in coordination with the United Nations and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

While the summit’s formal agenda centered on the reform of UN peacekeeping mandates, the diplomatic corridor it opened proved equally consequential.

Haiti: an unwavering Caribbean ally

Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship delivered what amounted to a full-spectrum endorsement of Morocco’s position.

Port-au-Prince reaffirmed “the constant position of the Republic of Haiti in favor of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Morocco over all of its territory, including the Sahara region,” while declaring the Autonomy Plan “the only credible and realistic solution for resolving this regional dispute.”

The Haitian minister further welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which enshrines Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as “the sole serious, credible, and lasting basis” for a political settlement.

The joint communiqué issued after the bilateral commended the socio-economic transformation of the kingdom’s southern provinces and recalled Haiti’s opening of an embassy in Rabat and a consulate general in Dakhla in December 2020.

Guinea’s immutable and unshakeable support for Morocco

Morissanda Kouyaté, Guinea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Guineans Abroad, left no room for ambiguity.

Conakry’s backing for Morocco’s territorial integrity is “constant and immutable,” he declared, reaffirming that Guinea “has always stood alongside the Kingdom of Morocco and has unfailingly supported its territorial integrity and sovereignty over all of its territory, including the Sahara region.”

Kouyaté endorsed the Autonomy Plan as the sole credible path forward and saluted the adoption of Resolution 2797 as a historic milestone that consecrates Morocco’s initiative within the framework of its sovereignty. The top Guinean diplomat stressed that this stance is in line with the “growing international consensus” generated by the diplomatic momentum driven by King Mohammed VI.

France’s shift from doctrine to concrete action

The most granular declaration came from Paris. Barrot reiterated the position articulated by President Emmanuel Macron in his July 30, 2024 letter to King Mohammed VI: “the present and the future of this territory fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.”

Crucially, France moved beyond doctrinal affirmation to enumerate specific implementation measures. In particular, Barrot cited the expansion of consular presence, the inauguration of a visa application center and an Alliance Française in Laâyoune, the opening of a new school, and the accompaniment of French private investment in the Sahara by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

He further noted that Resolution 2797 “falls within this very logic,” welcoming the resumption of direct discussions among all parties on the basis of the Autonomy Plan.

Such an emphatic verdict from three countries representing three voices constitutes yet another ample, powerful reminder that Rabat’s diplomatic checkmate on the Sahara file will likely continue to deepen as the international architecture solidifies the region’s anchoring within Moroccan sovereignty.