Bali – Saint Kitts and Nevis expressed its support for a political solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, within the framework of the Kingdom’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The dual island nation’s envoy repeated her country’s support for the autonomy plan, which the Security Council views as “serious” and “credible,” while speaking at the UN Committee of 24 (C-24) regional seminar held in Indonesia.

She also emphasized how this approach may help end this manufactured war, which has persisted for too long. She applauded the world community for their increased support of Morocco’s autonomy plan since it was first proposed in 2007.

The diplomat, who emphasized her nation’s support for the UN-led political process, said the UN Secretary-General’s and his Personal Envoy’s efforts can direct the process toward a reasonable, practical, and long-lasting political solution based on compromise, as suggested by the Security Council, particularly in Resolution 2654.

In this context, the representative of St. Kitts and Nevis urged for the round-table negotiations to resume in a similar setting and with the same participants (i.e., Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the polisario), in an atmosphere of good faith and collaboration.

It also applauded Morocco’s ongoing efforts to ensure the socioeconomic development of the southern provinces, particularly through large-scale initiatives that have significantly improved regional human development indices and contributed to the empowerment of the local population, particularly women and youth.

It emphasized that such actions are “unacceptable and constitute a violation” of Security Council resolutions and urged the polisario militias to respect the ceasefire and stop interfering with MINURSO’s operational efforts.

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Washington – The United States on Monday reiterated its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, deeming it “serious, credible and realistic” with a view to settling the regional conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.

Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated during his daily press briefing that “we continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, as credible, as realistic”.

When asked about the Sunday phone discussion between the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Abroad, Nasser Bourita, Vedant stated, “There is no change in the U.S. position on this matter.”

Last March, Binken emphasized the U.S.’s steadfast position when he reaffirmed his nation’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan in an effort to find a lasting political solution to the Sahara dispute under the auspices of the UN.

Blinken emphasized that the United States “continues” to view this idea as “serious, credible, and realistic” during discussions with his Moroccan counterpart in Washington.

The senior US diplomat recalled his nation’s “full support” for UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General Staffan de Mistura during a phone call with Bourita on Sunday.

The Biden administration cements a tradition in Washington by utilizing the voices of multiple senior U.S. officials to affirm the importance of the Moroccan autonomy proposal, which was put forth by the Kingdom in 2007, for the ultimate resolution of the fictitious battle over the Sahara.

Regardless of the political leanings of the White House administration, the United States has maintained its unwavering position in favor of the historic UN Security Council vote that will recognize Morocco’s full sovereignty over all of its territory, including its southern provinces, in 2020.

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Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan, the Netherlands said on Wednesday, was a “serious and credible contribution to the United Nations-sponsored political process” to resolve the Sahara issue.

The Netherlands is clearly engaged in the international dynamic in support of Morocco’s autonomy initiative to end the contrived dispute over Morocco and the Sahara, as expressed in a joint statement issued following talks between Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation of Africa, and Moroccans Abroad, and his Dutch counterpart, Mr. Wopke Hoekstra.

Thus, the Hague’s new position comes in the context of the United States’, Germany’s, Spain’s, and even the Philippines’ backing for Morocco’s autonomy initiative in 2007, which they see as the ultimate and final basis for resolving the conflict.

The Netherlands and Morocco reaffirmed their support for Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-Personal General’s Envoy for Sahara, and his efforts to resume “a political process aimed at achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution,” in accordance with Security Council resolutions as well as the Charter’s purposes and principles, in a joint statement issued after Mr. Bourita and Hoekstra’s talks.

Mr. Bourita met with the head of Dutch diplomacy on the margins of the global coalition against ISIS’s ministerial conference in Marrakech on Wednesday.

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During the Ministerial Conference in support of the Autonomy Initiative under Morocco’s Sovereignty held today Friday 15 January, co-chaired by Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita and attended on video-conference technology by more than 40 different countries, David Schenker, US Assistant Secretary Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, stressed that Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative is the most realistic option for resolving the conflict over Moroccan Sahara and that this conflict has gone on far too long and continues to negatively impact the lives of Moroccans and Sahrawis alike.

As a matter of fact, Schenker encouraged involved parties to seriously examine Morocco’s Autonomy plan as the only credible and realistic basis for negotiations that has emerged over the last 30 years.

Thus, Schenker’s approach goes hand in hand with FM Bourita’s proposal which is to move from recognition to implementation.

Schenker further added that three decades of status quo haven’t produced any breakthroughs. Therefore, he invited the participating countries to seize the moment and reinvigorate negotiations within the framework of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and alongside the United Nations to find a peaceful resolution for the benefit of all parties.

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During the Ministerial Conference in support of the Autonomy Initiative under Morocco’s Sovereignty held today Friday 15 January, co-chaired by Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita and attended on video-conference technology by more than 40 different countries, FM Bourita focused the conference’s rationale on what is after the recognition of the Moroccan Sahara?

Bourita strongly asserted that it’s high time countries moved from a mere recognition to an action plan to implement the Autonomy Initiative.

He further affirmed that the Autonomy Initiative is not a mere intellectual concept, but it is a pragmatic political path, a societal project and a constructive solution, which is already on the move.

Bourita explained that Morocco has moved to the implementation of the Autonomy Initiative and that is through establishing a democratic and orderly election of the genuine and legitimate representatives of the populations of the Moroccan Sahara. In addition to that, the new Development Model for the Southern Provinces and the advanced regionalization which make them all concrete steps currently being implemented towards the full realization of the autonomy status of the Sahara.

Bourita further cited His Majesty, King of Morocco, Mohammed VI’s quote that “The projects we have launched and those we will start, will position the Moroccan Sahara as an integrated economic hub. Called to serve as a link between Morocco and its African depth, it will assert itself as a hub for relations between countries in the region.”

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