The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Government of Spain, José Manuel Albares, yesterday began his first official trip to Morocco since taking office on 21 November, one of the first such trips since Pedro Sánchez took a position in favour of Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara in a letter sent to the King of Morocco on 18 March 2022.
A position that was immediately – and repeatedly – roundly rejected by Spanish civil society and practically all political parties. Both chambers condemned the rupture of what had hitherto been the greatest consensus in Spanish foreign policy.
Almost two years later, after the holding of a HNR at the beginning of this year, and numerous unfulfilled announcements, it has become clear that the commitment to subordinate the Sahrawi people’s legitimate rights to self-determination and independence to Morocco’s insatiable demands has not brought any benefits for Spain.
We therefore hope that this trip will not serve, once again, to compromise the rights of the people of Western Sahara for the sake of maintaining the “strategic” relationship with Morocco.
Notwithstanding the above, and even without knowing the reasons, Mr Sánchez still has the power to reverse the situation, to unambiguously support Mr De Mistura’s work as Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General and to stop interfering with the inalienable right to self-determination and independence of the people of Western Sahara.
It is an opportune moment for Spain to assume its central role as the administering power of the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Western Sahara, especially considering the imminence of the judgments of the European Court of Justice, which, among other things, will confirm the distinct and separate status of Western Sahara with respect to Morocco.
This is a great opportunity to courageously assume the legal responsibilities imposed by international law and thus return Spain to the greatest consensus in its foreign policy. It should also stop making bilateral relations with Morocco conditional on the violation of the Sahrawi people’s rights and allow them to freely decide their future through the exercise of their right to self-determination.
This has always been urgent, but recent events have made it clear that eternal occupation is not an option. The only guarantee of stability and progress in the current international system is to allow peoples to freely decide their future, in accordance with the provisions of international law.
Abdulah Arabi
Representative of the POLISARIO Front in Spain
