2023-07-20 04:32:38
A “clear-sighted” decision. This is the adjective used by Moroccan King Mohamed VI in his message of thanks to salute the recognition by the Jewish State of the sovereignty of this Maghreb country over Western Sahara. The king This Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu indicated in a letter to the Moroccan royal cabinet in which he indicates to recognize the sovereignty of the country on the coveted territory of Western Sahara.
In the same message, Mohamed VI advances the prospect of a meeting with Netanyahu which “will open up new possibilities for bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel”. “You are welcome to visit Morocco, on dates at our best mutual convenience, to be defined through diplomatic channels”, wrote the Cherifian sovereign in his message. Israeli National Security Advisor Tzahi Hanegbi and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita “decided this evening to jointly set a date in the near future” for this visit.
A “national cause” and a “priority” for Mohamed VI
The question of Western Sahara is “the national cause of the kingdom and the priority of its foreign policy”, underlines Mohammed VI in his message. “It is part of the irreversible international dynamic which sees many countries (…) favoring a definitive political solution to this anachronistic regional dispute, on the basis of the Moroccan autonomy initiative for the Sahara region and within the framework of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom”, he continues.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is considered a “non-self-governing territory” by the UN in the absence of a definitive settlement. For nearly 50 years, an armed conflict has opposed Morocco to the separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by neighboring Algeria. Rabat advocates an autonomy plan under its exclusive sovereignty, while the Polisario calls for a self-determination referendum under the aegis of the UN, planned when a ceasefire was signed in 1991 but never materialized.
The diplomatic rapprochement between Morocco and Israel is not unanimous in Morocco, especially since the Palestinian cause continues to arouse immense sympathy within the Moroccan population.
#Western #Sahara #Mohamed #invites #Netanyahu #Israeli #recognition #Moroccan #sovereignty