On Saturday, Algeria recalled its ambassador from Spain after Madrid’s “abrupt U-turn” on its decades-old policy on Western Sahara, wherein it has now backed Morocco’s claim over the region and its proposal to grant it limited regional autonomy.
On Friday, a statement by Morocco’s royal palace said in a letter addressed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez stressed that he “recognizes the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco.” The statement said, “Spain considers the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007, as the basis, the most serious, realistic and credible, for resolving the dispute.”
Likewise, Sánchez welcomed “the serious and credible efforts of Morocco within the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution.”
🔴Statement by the Royal Office: Spain considers the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco as the basis, the most serious, realistic and credible, for the resolution of the dispute about the Moroccan Sahara.
— Moroccan Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@Marocdiplo_EN) March 18, 2022
🔗https://t.co/8oKaOvA4Dw pic.twitter.com/3miNbLgdH8
Spain had previously remained neutral over the long-drawn conflict over Western Sahara between Algeria and Morocco, and called Morocco’s control over Western Sahara “an occupation.” However, in his recent letter to Morrocan King Mohammed VI, Sánchez focused on building new relationships and noted the importance of amicable bilateral ties to counter common challenges.
“Today, we are starting a new stage in our relationship with Morocco, based on mutual respect, respect for agreements, the absence of unilateral actions and transparency and permanent communication,” the Spanish government said.
Spain receives 40% of its gas from Algeria. Yet, despite its reliance on Algeria for energy, Spain has sided with Morocco to tackle migration from Northern and sub-Saharan Africa. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said, “We want to strengthen cooperation in the management of migration flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.”
GAS GEOPOLITCS: If there wasn't enough trouble, Spain today reversed a 46-year policy about Western Sahara, for 1st time supporting Morocco's view. Algeria, the main backer of Western Sahara, has just recalled its ambassador in Madrid. Spain buys lots of Algerian gas | #ONGT🧵1/3
— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) March 19, 2022
The announcement comes amid tense relations between Madrid and Rabat, with Morocco seeking recognition of its claim over the region and Spain attempting to repair fractured relations with Morocco.
Last year, Spain had covertly allowed Western Saharan Polisario Front (PF) leader Brahim Ghali, who leads an independence movement by the Sahrawi people, to receive treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital in northern Spain. In retaliation, Morocco purposely allowed thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to enter Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the coast of Morocco, and also recalled its ambassador from Spain. The ambassador was reinstated on Sunday after the ten-month-long diplomatic spat, marking a clear shift in Spain’s Western Sahara policy.
However, in a bid to mend ties with Morocco, Spain has opened a new diplomatic row with Algeria. Following Spain’s announcement, the PF’s Spanish delegate, Abdulah Arabi, said, “Spain has succumbed to Moroccan blackmail and pressure.” He urged Madrid to arrive at a solution based on the choice of the Saharawi people. To this end, the freedom-seeking Saharawi people called the decision a “grave error” that submitted to Morocco’s leverage over the control of migrants crossing into Europe.
“The position expressed by the Spanish government totally contradicts international legitimacy,” the Polisario statement added.
#Western_Sahara🇪🇭: President of the Republic, SG of #POLISARIO Brahim Gali; "The President of the Government of #Spain Pedro Sánchez, in a shameful similarity to #Trump's tweet,wants to give what does not belong to him to who doesn’t deserve it" pic.twitter.com/abRSUitUfs
— The Atlas Times أطلس تايمز (@Atlas_Times) March 20, 2022
Western Sahara, a disputed territory in northwestern Africa, has long been a source of tension between Madrid and Rabat. Spain is still considered the colonial administrative power of Western Sahara by the United Nations (UN) even after it abandoned the territory in 1975, which was then annexed by Morocco in 1976.
For Morocco, the region represents a crucial economic foothold in terms of phosphate reserves, fisheries, and offshore oil. At the same time, the Guerguerat border crossing between the Western Sahara and Mauritania runs through a ‘buffer zone’ between Morocco and the SADR, demonstrating how the area also represents a crucial trade route to other African nations.
Algeria, on the other hand, wants Morocco to hold an independence referendum. It has provided the Polisario Front with arms, political support, and financial aid in its decades-long conflict with Morocco. In response, Morocco has backed the right to self-determination of Algeria’s Berber minority. These differences led to Algeria severing all diplomatic ties with Morocco last year, wherein it recalled its ambassador from Rabat.
The dispute gained global notoriety in 2020 after former United States (US) President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the region in exchange for Morocco signing the Abraham Accords with Israel, a policy that has been kept in place by the Biden administration. Consequently, more than 20 Arab and African countries have opened their consulates in the territory. Moreover, during her recent visit to Rabat, current US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said, “We continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic.”
In fact, it appears that Morocco is slowly gaining the support of a number of Western actors. In February, Germany, too, pledged to form a “new partnership”; both countries also re-deployed their diplomatic envoys to Berlin and Rabat, respectively. Like Spain, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also approved Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, marking a clear shift from the Merkel government.