Sánchez reaffirms support for Morocco's efforts to make Western Sahara an autonomous region

MadridBilateral relations between Spain and Morocco are going through "an excellent moment," according to both governments. Pedro Sánchez demonstrated this harmony with the Alawite kingdom at a high-level summit held this Thursday at the Moncloa Palace. The Spanish Prime Minister received his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch, with military honors and subsequently met with him, while six Socialist ministers also met in parallel with their Moroccan counterparts. The result was the signing of fourteen agreements on matters such as the digital transition of public administrations, natural disaster prevention, agriculture and fisheries, and the fight against extremism. In a joint statement released afterward, the Spanish president reaffirmed the controversial position that explains this rapprochement, which has been consolidating over the last three years, namely the Moncloa Palace's shift on Western Sahara. In the eighth point of the document, Sánchez "welcomes" that The UN Security Council will approve a resolution at the end of October supporting Morocco's plan. for the former Spanish colony. This text has been his only statement, as the Spanish president has avoided questions from the press - there has been no appearance whatsoever - which has prompted a complaint from professional associations about this "lack of transparency".

That relations between Spain and Morocco generate controversy at every meeting has been made clear by the Sumar coalition. Neither the Second Vice President of the Spanish government, Yolanda Díaz, nor the other Sumar ministers participated in the summit. Spain's change of position on Western Sahara in April 2022, when it shifted its support for Morocco's proposed autonomy (rather than the self-determination historically defended by Spain), was a unilateral decision by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and lacks the backing of the parties to its left. While the meeting was taking place, the leader of the coalition's junior partner posted a message on social media supporting the Sahrawi people's struggle. "A message regarding the high-level meeting with Morocco: we cannot cede a single centimeter of Sahrawi land," Díaz emphasized, concluding with "Long live a free Sahara."

The State Coordinator of Solidarity Associations with the Sahara (CEAS-Sahara) denounced in a statement Sánchez's "political surrender" "to employment." "Spanish silence is not diplomacy, it is resignation" and "turning a blind eye" to the "systematic violations of human rights," they insisted, warning that this stability in relations with Morocco "will always be artificial and profoundly unjust." It is worth recalling that Sánchez made the about-face just after a crisis between the State and the monarchy of Mohammed VI, which escalated with the arrival in Spain during the pandemic of Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive medical aid. Morocco, guardian of Spain's southern border, responded by ceasing to control border crossings, which provoked attacks against the fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla. The Polisario Front's representative in Spain, Abdulah Arabi, has warned that if Spain allows Morocco to continue setting the agenda, once it consolidates its occupation of Western Sahara, "the next target will be the Canary Islands."

"Determination" to "continue strengthening" relationships

Sánchez ignored these protests and reiterated his support for the "autonomy proposal" for Western Sahara under "Moroccan sovereignty" as a "mutually acceptable solution." He also overlooked youth protests in MoroccoThe protests, which took place throughout October and focused on other social and economic issues, demanded the resignation of Akhannouch and resulted in over 2,000 arrests. "Spain welcomes the dynamic of openness, progress, and modernization that Morocco is experiencing thanks to the modernization reforms guided by King Mohammed VI," the statement reads. It also addresses one of the key issues in bilateral relations: immigration. The Spanish government praises Morocco's "exemplary and loyal cooperation" in the fight against irregular immigration and also emphasizes the economic ties between the two countries following a bilateral business meeting held yesterday at the headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations (CEOE). The document "reaffirms the determination" of both Spain and Morocco "to continue strengthening" their bond "within the framework of a modernized relationship, based on the pursuit of progress and well-being for the people of both countries" and calls for a new ministerial meeting next year.