MADRID (AP) 鈥� Spain on Friday declared 鈥渁 new stage鈥� in its strained relations with Morocco after the Spanish prime minister wrote to the Moroccan king, agreeing that having Western Sahara operate autonomously under Rabat鈥檚 rule is 鈥渢he most serious, realistic and credible鈥� initiative for resolving a decades-long dispute over the vast African territory.
This marked an enormous departure from Spain鈥檚 earlier stance of considering Morocco鈥檚 grip on Western Sahara an occupation. The shift followed months of frosty diplomatic relations and led to the announcement of a flurry of visits by Spanish officials to its southern neighbor.
It also opened up disputes within Spain鈥檚 left-to-center governing coalition.
The United Nations has continued to regard Madrid as the colonial administrative power for Western Sahara, even after its annexation by Morocco immediately after Spain abandoned its African province in 1975. Over the years, the Spanish government鈥檚 official position, along with the European Union鈥檚,
But according to a statement issued by Morocco鈥檚 royal palace on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez recognized 鈥渢he importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco鈥� in a letter to King Mohammed VI.
鈥淪pain considers the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 as the basis, the most serious, realistic and credible, for resolving the dispute,鈥� the royal palace quoted S谩nchez.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jos茅 Manuel Albares confirmed the Moroccan announcement.
鈥淭oday we begin a new stage in our relations with Morocco and finally close a crisis with a strategic partner,鈥� he told reporters. He added that the new chapter was 鈥渂ased on mutual respect, compliance with agreements, the absence of unilateral actions and transparency and permanent communication.鈥�
Relations between Spain and Morocco after Spain secretly hosted for medical treatment the leader of the Polisario Front, which has led the yearning for independence by many Saharawis.
But when media affiliated with the Moroccan government revealed Brahim Ghali鈥檚 presence in Spain, . That leashed an . Morocco also recalled its ambassador in Madrid and hasn鈥檛 reinstated her.
Abdulah Arabi, who represents the Polisario in Spain, said S谩nchez 鈥渟uccumbs to the pressure and blackmail鈥� from Morocco by paying 鈥渁 toll鈥� to mend their damaged political and diplomatic ties. He said having Western Sahara be autonomous under Morocco is only one of many options that should be voted upon in a referendum.
鈥淭he solution has to be based on the choice voted by the Saharawi people,鈥� Arabi said.
Some 176,000 Saharawi are believed to live in They rely on humanitarian help and goods from international aid agencies, under the governance of the Polisario Front, which presides over an exiled Sahrawi republic.
In late 2020, their and
Morocco departed from the agreement to hold a referendum for Western Sahara when it introduced its 2007 proposal of greater autonomy under its sovereignty. Using its leverage in keeping extremism in North Africa at bay and controlling the flow of , Rabat has increasingly scored support for its proposal. First it was backed by France, then in late 2019 by the , and
Western Sahara sits on vast phosphate deposits and . Thousands of Sahrawis live in the Moroccan-controlled areas, where authorities keep a tight grip on dissent according to human rights groups.
A more assertive Morocco has also irked its regional foe, Algeria, a long-standing supporter of the Polisario that
Albares, the Spanish foreign minister, has been invited for meetings in Rabat later this month and officials were scheduling a visit by S谩nchez himself, the Moroccan ministry of foreign affairs said.
In its statement, the Spanish government welcomed the invitations and said it wanted to face 鈥渃ommon challenges鈥� together with Rabat, 鈥渆specially cooperation in the management of migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.鈥�
According to the Moroccan royal palace, in his message to the king, S谩nchez wrote that Spain鈥檚 goal is 鈥渢o act with the absolute transparency that corresponds to a great friend and ally.鈥�
S谩nchez, leader of Spain鈥檚 Socialists, has been at the helm of a fragile coalition with the far-left United We Can (Unidas Podemos) party, with the two sides often clashing over their views on feminism, social spending and foreign policy.
Soon after Morocco鈥檚 announcement, the junior partner鈥檚 most prominent leader, Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda D铆az, tweeted that she was committed 鈥渢o the defense of the Saharawi people and to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.鈥�
鈥淎ny solution to the conflict must go through dialogue and respect for the democratic will of the Saharawi people,鈥� D铆az added.
__
Tarik El Barakah in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.
Aritz Parra, The Associated Press
