Morocco announced, on Tuesday, that the UAE will be the first Arab country to open a general consulate in Laayoune, Western Sahara, praising this important diplomatic step.
In an official statement, the Moroccan royal palace revealed that this decision came after a phone call between Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
"The call was part of the permanent cooperation and regular consultations between the two countries," the statement added.
During the call, King Mohammed VI expressed satisfaction with the UAE decision.
The Moroccan King described the announcement as historic, reflecting the UAE’s support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
It is worth mentioning that, 15 African states have also opened consulates in Western Sahara. Zambia and Eswatini both opened theirs on Tuesday.
Morocco has controlled Western Sahara since Spanish colonial rule ended there in 1974, with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front pushing for it to win independence, according to Reuters
United Nations' efforts to broker a settlement between Morocco and the Polisario have repeatedly failed. A referendum on its future promised as part of a 1991 ceasefire deal, never took place.
Western Sahara, though a sparsely populated desert region, has rich fishing waters, phosphate deposits, and Morocco’s only working land route into the rest of Africa as its border with Algeria is closed.
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