Western Sahara: is there a just, realistic, pragmatic, durable and mutually acceptable political solution? Interview with Lars Patrick Berg MEP.
Q: On 8 June 2022, Algeria announced the suspension of its two-decade-old friendship, a good neighbor, and cooperation treaty with Spain. This decision dealt a blow to Algeria-EU relations, which have deteriorated since Spain supported Morocco’s position on the disputed Western Sahara territory. The EU seems to have sided with Morocco on this issue. Is that your view?
A: The EU seeks balanced relations with the two states at loggerheads on this issue, which is why the EU, concerned about the economic consequences of the Algerian move, has urged Algeria to withdraw its “deeply worrying” decision, which is in direct violation of the 2005 EU-Algeria Partnership Agreement. It is also true that the EU prefers to rely on Morocco on the Western Sahara issue, as Morocco is the primary authority to determine the status of the territory. The EU has an Association Agreement with Morocco, which entered into force on 19 July 2019 and extends tariff preferences to products from Western Sahara. The 2021 report shows that the implementation of the agreement is proceeding smoothly and that the agreement is benefiting Western Sahara and its population, as exports to the EU and employment figures show a steady and moderately increasing trend, largely due to the granting of tariff preferences under the agreement.
Q: However, the Polisario Front, which “controls” the territory, refuses to accept the EU’s position that the territory is quasi-part of the Kingdom of Morocco. It has therefore denounced the European Council at the EU General Court. Where does this issue now stand?
A: Indeed, the Polisario Front brought an action against the Council and the European Court of Justice annulled the Council’s decision to conclude the agreement in its judgment on 29 September 2021. However, the Council has appealed and the agreement will continue to apply until the Court’s judgment is delivered.
Q: This shows the complexity and complexity of the issues involved. At the same time, the EU is not alone in linking Western Sahara to Morocco, as the United States has a similar interpretation.
A: Indeed. The United States, during the Trump administration, declared that it recognizes “Morocco’s sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara” and eventually opened a consulate in Dakhla. However, the US went even further and confirmed its support for a Moroccan proposal to grant limited autonomy to Sahrawis living under Moroccan control. A few weeks ago, however, the New York Bar Association called on the US President to reconsider former President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize alleged Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, stressing that all diplomatic channels must be used to ensure that the Sahrawi people can exercise their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state and dispose of their natural resources in accordance with international law. The question is what steps if any, the Biden administration will take.
Q: What is the position of the EU member states?
A: Germany changed its position on Western Sahara after Olaf Scholz was elected chancellor. The newly elected German government is also trying to move beyond long-standing tensions with Morocco and has therefore called the Moroccan autonomy plan an “important contribution” to ending the conflict in Western Sahara.
Q: As we know, the UN is also playing a very important role in resolving this issue. What issues can the UN help with?
A: The UN Human Rights Council has often tried to help ease tensions between the two Maghreb countries. Therefore, when Spain – a prominent partner of both countries – failed to take a balanced position that could have helped to reduce tensions, Algeria quickly escalated and explicitly condemned the Spanish policy change, stating that the Spanish position was contrary to international legal rulings and the traditional position of the Spanish government.
Q: Morocco, on the other hand, has become increasingly assertive about its sovereignty over the disputed territory. In fact, King Mohammad VI announced in a recent speech that Moroccan relations with other countries would be based primarily on respect for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. This is a pretty clear decision, which rules out all other options: how do you see it?
A: In the midst of the Algerian diplomatic dispute with Spain over the status of Western Sahara, the Algerian Foreign Ministry is working hard to strengthen economic and political relations with Italy, a long-standing partner of Spain, and France, Morocco’s biggest ally. France, with which Algeria has a long and turbulent history, has always been an outspoken supporter of Morocco’s right to defend its “territorial integrity”. That is why the Algerian government wants to win France’s support on this issue.
At the same time, Algeria is also strongly aligned with Italy, with relations culminating in the official visit of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on 25 May 2022. President Tebboune signed an important energy agreement with Italy, which paves the way for Algeria to become Italy’s largest gas supplier. Before the escalation of tensions, Algeria was Spain’s largest gas supplier and Madrid received its share of Algerian gas through the Trans-Morocco pipeline. However, as Algerian-Moroccan relations deteriorated and Algeria feared that Spain would sell Algerian gas to Morocco, Algiers stipulated that gas supplied to Spain could not be re-exported to any other country, notably Morocco. In addition, the Algerian government recently decided, as a punitive measure, that gas destined for Spain would now be diverted to Italy.
Q: How will the EU react if other EU countries decide to support the Spanish position and thus back the autonomy proposal and the independence referendum?
A: Nabila Massrali, a senior spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, told journalists that “the European Union welcomes any positive development in bilateral relations between the Member States and Morocco, which can only be beneficial for the realization of the Euro-Moroccan partnership”. This statement makes it clear that the EU is officially following the Moroccan position. In addition, the EU supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to find a “just, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Western Sahara issue”. It is questionable whether UN efforts to find a fair and mutually acceptable solution will ever come to fruition.
Endre Barcs
