We bring you perspectives from around the world. As of 1990, the SADR had garnered the recognition of over 80 countries . This was an important symbolic gesture, given that the UAE was the first Arab state to do so. This cookie consists of the word “yes” to enable us to remember your acceptance of the site cookie notification, and prevents it from displaying to you in future. Western Sahara, territory occupying an extensive desert Atlantic-coastal area of northwest Africa. A month later, the US committed to selling four sky guardian drones to Morocco, which expands its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capacity. The Biden administration is scrutinizing past deals signed by the previous president, and the decision pertaining to Morocco might come up for reconsideration. Strangely enough, withdrawals of recognition have been a ever-present feature of the conflict in Western Sahara. Malignant non-state actors, however, could use the endurance of the US decision to galvanize violent actions from some Polisario fighters, creating another opening for terrorist groups. In light of the US move, both of these relationships could further develop. If the Biden administration continues recognition of Western Sahara, Blinken would most likely work through an international framework at the United Nations to achieve increased support for Washington’s unilateral decision, as the US is the only state to recognize full Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Press TV – May 1, 2021. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. In this case, Morocco would withdraw its recognition of Israel and US relations with Morocco would cool. Dakhla, Western Sahara © Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock. Independence movement pans US recognition of Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara Algerian-backed Polisario Front group says Trump’s decision to … On January 27, 2021, US President Joe Biden froze the Trump-era F-35 sale to the UAE, pending review. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. The deal is a clear quid pro quo – Morocco’s recognition of Israel has been traded for the US becoming the first country to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. Maintenance of the decision also comes at the expense of true self-determination for the Saharawi people in Western Sahara. By acknowledging Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, allotting Morocco more development funding and providing increased ISR, the US bolsters neighborhood stability as seen by King Mohammed VI. FacebookTwitter Washington D.C. – Ever since former US President Donald Trump recognized Morocco´s sovereignty over Western Sahara, Algeria and Polisario’s supporters have responded in droves to denounce the move and dismiss it as a “flagrant” violation of international law. It also brings Rabat closer to the United Arab Emirates’ spheres of geopolitical influence in Africa and the wider Arab world. At the same time, Russia and China would continue their support for Algeria, and Morocco would export its version of stability across North Africa. Accustomed for four decades to dominating the narrative about the Sahara conflict by mobilizing … Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you. Former Secretary of State James Baker blasted the Trump administration for recognizing Western Sahara as Moroccan territory, writing in a Thursday op … El Mundo: Spain Fears Biden Will Maintain US Western Sahara Recognition. Algeria might deepen its relationship with Russia and China, increasing their presence in the Maghreb region. Yet Trump’s gift to Morocco could have unintended consequences. *[Fair Observer is a media partner of Gulf State Analytics.]. At the same time, the decision gives the EU cover to further align with Morocco. In return, Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel. This action would see the White House realign with the UN-sponsored peace process and international law. Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty gives political cover to European states, including France, that lean toward the autonomy plan. The Brussels-Rabat relationship is fraught with disputes over whether goods from Western Sahara should come under the jurisdiction of the EU-Morocco free trade agreement. The step of the United States ’recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara by the former US administration has sparked a heated argument between opposing voices ( John Bolton, Stephen Zones, R. Joseph Huddleston, Harshana Ghoorhoo, Daniela A. Maquera Sardon) and supportive opinions of this step ( Bennis, Haddaoui ), arguing whether the US administration, under Joe Biden’s … US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara is a duplicitous power move FOR Staff Thank you for your interest in republishing this story. December 15, 2020, 2:45 PM. As the most strident supporter of the Polisario Front — an armed group demanding independence for Western Sahara — Algeria is upset about the diplomatic win Morocco secured in the US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty. These actions will not decisively change the nature of conflict plaguing the Sahel region, located just south of the Sahara Desert. New US-Moroccan collaboration could see Morocco push Sahelian stability that benefits the US position in great power competition by closing power vacuums to Russian interests. Rabat would also continue its recognition of Israel. Despite the controversial headline that El Mundo used, Spain appears to … Russia has already condemned Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The territory remained disputed between Morocco and local forces well into the … Outgoing President Donald Trump’s Dec. 11 proclamation that the United States would recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara … China’s Balancing Foreign Policy in the Gulf, What the UAE-Turkey Rivalry Means for Europe’s Energy Security. The US-brokered agreement goes beyond a simple quid pro quo for Trump’s Arab peace deals. Russia expanding its North African power projection and China increasing its investments in natural resources would balance Moroccan actions that close power vacuums to the Wagner Group. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The conclusion from the past 13 years of UN resolutions and reports on … Biden to uphold Western Sahara recognition for sake of Israel. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy. Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara as part of Morocco reversed decades of Washington’s policy regarding the disputed territory. US President Joe Biden has reportedly decided to uphold the Trump administration’s controversial decision to recognize Morocco’s alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara. In the Gulf, Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty pushes Rabat and Abu Dhabi closer into alignment. New US development initiatives could amplify previous Moroccan actions in the region, such as the delivery of COVID-19 aid packages to Mauritania and Burkina Faso in June 2020. This would continue their rapprochement after previous tensions, which stemmed from Morocco’s refusal to back the Saudi-Emirati-led blockade of Qatar between 2017 and 2021. The freeze does not necessitate the reversal of the sale, but it indicates Biden’s resolve to scrutinize the quid pro quos that accompany the Abraham Accords. The Biden administration has already stated its support of the Abraham Accords, a term used for the peace deals Israel signed with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020. Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today. But even marginal gains for Moroccan stability would decrease power vacuums for Russia to exploit with the Wagner Group, a private military company Moscow uses to surreptitiously advance its foreign policy. On December 10, 2020, then-US President Donald Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, circumventing a decades-long UN-sponsored peace process for the territory. If EU states lean toward the Moroccan autonomy plan, the Biden administration will find some find needed political cover. Although the US and Morocco would remain important partners, the Moroccans would feel betrayed by this decision and potentially align closer with Russia and China to castigate the Americans. The monarchy's top foreign policy objective has for years been to secure as much recognition as possible for its control of the territory, she says. The US can also withdraw recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. To balance Rabat’s victory, Algiers could invite in Russian troops under the guise of counterterrorism operations to the Sahel. In October 2020, however, the UAE opened a consulate in Western Sahara’s Laayoune, which at that time was not recognized as Moroccan territory by the US. Many considered the F-35 sale as a carrot Trump offered to the UAE. While the Trump administration’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is a big victory for the North African kingdom, experts … Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world. Help us to inform and educate. The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. In a strategic move, the US decided to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Moroccan Sahara, or Western Sahara, in December 2020 and fully endorse Morocco’s autonomy plan … The US-brokered agreement goes beyond a simple quid pro quo for Trump’s Arab peace deals. Jewish Insider. Much of the news coverage and accompanying commentary focused not the importance of the territory for Morocco but on the quid pro quo: formal diplomatic relations with Israel as the price for recognition. The December 2020 announcement by the United States that it recognizes the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, now Moroccan Sahara, offers a case in point. It represents a US investment in a North African security partner that is key to Washington’s conception of great power competition. In turn, increased stability for Morocco may reverberate across its littoral Sahara — a vacuum for terrorists and a potential target of Russian intrigue. In late November 2020, the US committed to investing $3 billion in Morocco — through the Development Finance Corporation — and designated the country as a regional hub for its Prosper Africa trade and investment program. Potentially, a US return to non-recognition would invigorate efforts toward a true autonomy plan. After decades of international impasse and intense lobbying, the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, which Morocco has occupied since 1975. The states also recalled each other’s ambassadors. Here’s what’s at stake In brokering a deal between Israel and Morocco, the U.S. became the first Western nation to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed North African territory The US decision, consequently, gives Russia and China an excuse to increase security and economic cooperation with the Algerians. In Morocco-occupied Western Sahara, dozens of masked agents broke into the home of renowned Sahrawi activist Sultana Khaya early Monday morning and … Rulings in 2016 and 2018 by the European Court of Justice decreed that EU-Morocco trade and fishing agreements would only remain valid if they excluded goods originating from Western Sahara, contradicting the Moroccan autonomy plan for the territory. Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse. The politics and business news you need to stay up to date, delivered daily in a must-read newsletter. Trump’s decision also provides political cover for the EU to overcome obstacles in its relationship with Morocco, which retains advanced status under the union’s European Neighborhood Policy. If so, like the US, the European Union would find itself pulled closer to Morocco, portending new initiatives that align with the European interest of Morocco as a stability exporter. Once the US reaches “a full understanding of any commitments,” it will either continue or withdraw recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The US move to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has potentially invited Russia and China to play a greater role in North Africa. The vast majority of Moroccans really do stand behind the monarchy in that regard," Fakir says. The US may have improved ties with Morocco but, in doing so, pushed Algeria, another North African behemoth, firmly into a sphere of Russian and Chinese influence and provided Russia justification for its illegal invasions. US rivals have adopted less amenable stances. In response to a question concerning US recognition of Western Sahara, however, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We’re also trying to make sure that we have a full understanding of any commitments that may have been made in securing those agreements.”. On December 10, 2020, then-US President Donald Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, circumventing a decades-long UN-sponsored peace process for the territory. The White House is reviewing Western Sahara recognition. It was part of a wider agreement with Rabat’s ruler that included the renewal of diplomatic ties between the Israeli and the Moroccan regimes that triggered massive protests in Palestine and Morocco. President Trump’s decision to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over the contested territory of Western Sahara in exchange for the nation resuming ties … James Baker III: Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara is a serious blow to diplomacy and international law (Opinion) Washington (USA)- Former US Secretary of State, James Baker III, published an opinion yesterday in The Washington Post, warning against the dangerous possible implications of US outgoing President, Donald In return, Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel. Last December, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, confirmed that recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is linked to the kingdom's normalisation with Israel. Therefore, as of today, the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory and reaffirms its support for Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory. European judicial decisions do not derive from US decrees, but if key EU member states were to change their stance on Western Sahara, the legal basis of the earlier court rulings could also differ. To punish Morocco for its neutrality, in 2018, the UAE and Saudi Arabia voted against Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Trump administration’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is a major and unfortunate change in long-standing U.S. … The recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is not a radical departure from prior U.S. policy; rather, it is a prudent development of it. The Moroccan kingdom conceives of its neighborhood’s stability in terms of a strong grip on Western Sahara, the continued development of the southern territory’s resources, and limited terrorist threats in and around its porous Saharan borders. I’ve been finding the morning blast from JI very useful for all my Jewish news needs. Regardless of the Biden administration’s actions, Trump blatantly circumvented a UN-sponsored peace process and gave Morocco a carte blanche to implement its autonomy plan. President Trump’s recent proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara was an astounding retreat from the principles of international law and diplomacy … UAE actions that favor Morocco come amidst deteriorating Emirati-Algerian relations, as Abu Dhabi is unhappy with Algeria’s alleged support of Turkey or, according to the UAE, “anti-Emirati lobbies in the region.” That the UAE is strengthening ties with Morocco while Saudi Arabia makes no such overtures could foreshadow Emirati attempts at constructing a new, intra-Sunni coalition.