The diplomat accuses Spain of having given in to “Moroccan blackmail” and says that Madrid will lose its credibility as a mediator.
elperiodico.com.- The government of Pedro Sánchez last week erased decades of neutrality in the conflict over Western Sahara, the colony that Spain administered for more than a century. He went from supporting a “mutually acceptable” solution through the UN referendum on the self-determination of the Saharawis and their territory—one of the few remaining formally not decolonized territories—to adopting Morocco’s position. Autonomy within the Alawite Kingdom, the same as that advocated by the Biden Administration. All in exchange for an unwritten commitment to stability in the relationship with Rabat.
Sidi Omar, representative of the Polisario Front to the UN and also coordinator with Minurso (the mission created by the organization to hold the referendum and keep the peace that ended a few months ago), has lived in Levante for over a decade. He has a doctorate in conflict resolution and is a regular professor in postgraduate courses at the Universidad Jaume I in Castelló. He answered to this newspaper in writing.
How did the Polisario Front receive Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara?
The Polisario Front and the authorities of the Saharawi Republic (SADR) issued a statement in which they underline that the position expressed by the current Spanish government lacks credibility, seriousness, responsibility and realism, as it constitutes a dangerous deviation that violates international legality, supports the occupation and encourages aggression and the politics of fait accompli. The statement also stresses that the change announced by the Spanish government is the result of months of intense Moroccan blackmail. This new position goes against Spain’s legal, historical and moral responsibilities as a former colonial power. It is recalled that the order issued by the Audiencia Nacional in July 2014, which determined that Spain de jure, but not de facto, states that it remains the administrative power of Western Sahara, and as such, until the end of the period of decolonization, has the obligations set out in Articles 73 and 74 of the United Nations Charter.
Do you feel betrayed by Spain?
Unfortunately, we feel betrayed once again by a Spanish government which, since coming to power, has not failed to declare its support for a solution based on UN resolutions. Thus, while our people were waiting for Spain to correct its great mistake by handing over the territory to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975, within the framework of the infamous Madrid accords, we see that same government declaring its support for the Moroccan expansionist project. It is a clear example of the lack of coherence between what this government announces and what it actually does on the issue of Western Sahara.
The announcement comes after months of negotiations between Madrid and Rabat. Did Spain inform them in advance of the decision it was about to take?
I am not aware that Spain has informed the Polisario Front and the SADR authorities of its unfortunate decision. We know very well that for a long time Morocco has been using all means to pressure and blackmail Spain over Ceuta and Melilla, immigration, terrorism and obviously the question of Western Sahara. However, nobody understands why Spain gave in so easily to Moroccan pressure and reached this regrettable turn in its foreign policy on Western Sahara, which has great support and solidarity among the Spanish people.
Many observers are baffled by the decision, and particularly the timing, in the midst of an energy crisis and the ongoing war in Ukraine. What counterpart did Morocco offer to Spain?
We don’t know exactly what the payoff was for the Moroccan regime to agree to “normalize” its relations with Spain and stop blackmailing it from time to time. What is certain is that the Spanish government has abandoned its “positive neutrality” and, with it, the position that successive Spanish governments have maintained. And the question is, in exchange for what? Whatever the reasons behind this regrettable change, Spain’s new stance only serves to encourage Morocco to persist in its de facto policy and in its illegal occupation of part of Western Sahara. Such a stance would undoubtedly seriously damage Spain’s credibility and, consequently, its potential role in the peace process in Western Sahara.
Algeria withdrew its ambassador in Madrid. How could the change in position affect the relationship between Spain and Algeria, and do you think Algeria could restrict gas supplies?
The decision taken by Algeria is a sovereign decision and is part of its bilateral relations with Spain, so I have no comments to make on it.
You were left alone, after the US and Spain have turned their backs on the Saharawi. Is there any chance that Polisario will contemplate the autonomy proposed by Morocco?
The Polisario Front, the only legitimate representative of the Saharawi people, is not alone. The positions of these countries are well known, as is the role that each of them has played in the conflict in Western Sahara. Our cause is just and, above all, we count on the unwavering determination of our people to achieve their freedom and independence. As far as the Moroccan proposal is concerned, the Polisario Front will never contemplate it, as it presupposes that the occupying State exercises sovereignty over our territory, which has no basis. Furthermore, what Morocco is trying to do with this illegal proposal is precisely to determine in advance the final status of the territory and, consequently, exercise the right to decide on this fundamental issue instead of the Saharawi people, which is absolutely unacceptable.
What are your next steps?
We know that the occupying state of Morocco has never had any political will to reach a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict, in accordance with the principles of international law. The only solution that Morocco seeks is the continuation of the non-resolution of the conflict, in the hope that time will serve to consolidate its fait accompli policy. Thus, Morocco is only interested in the UN “peace process”, not peace. Our people have made many concessions over the last few decades, but under the leadership of the Polisario Front, they will never accept the de facto policy of the occupying State and will continue their struggle by all legitimate means to be able to exercise their non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence.
