Latest news with #SADR
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First Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Africa News Live Updates: MK's Sahara shock, Sudan's oil conflict, Nigeria's budget battles
July 23, 2025, 10:54:40 (IST) Whatsapp Facebook Twitter MK party's Western Sahara stance introduces foreign policy uncertainty for South Africa A representative for Western Sahara's Polisario Front, Mohamed Beisat, has stated the movement will not publicly criticise former South African President Jacob Zuma, despite his recent visit to Morocco and suggestions from his MK party that Western Sahara should be a Moroccan province, Mail & Guardian says in a report. This development introduces a significant element of foreign policy unpredictability for South Africa. The MK party's position is a stark deviation from South Africa's long-established policy of recognising the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). For investors and businesses, this signals potential instability and a lack of policy cohesion within South Africa's new political landscape, which could heighten political risk and complicate commercial engagements in North Africa, particularly with nations like Algeria, a key supporter of the SADR.
Morocco World
7 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
El Salvador Reiterates Support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan
Rabat – Felix Ulloa, Vice President of El Salvador, reiterated his country's determination to boost relations with Morocco, with San Salvador viewing the North African country as inspiring. The official made remarks today, a few weeks ahead of the 26th anniversary of Throne Day, when King Mohammed VI acceded to the throne. Morocco celebrates Throne Day on July 30, which is marked by a royal speech nd a royal audience to high-level officials, who review annual developments including economic growth, employment, and socio-economic achievements. Bilateral ties between Morocco and El Salvador experienced positive momentum, following the country's decision to withdraw recognition of the self-styled SADR run by Polisario and controlled by Algeria. The vice president stressed the importance of the position, which reflects a genuine political will to strengthen the partnership between the two countries. He also reiterated his country's steadfast support for Morocco's territorial integrity and for the Autonomy initiative, which he described as a 'serious, realistic, and credible' political solution to the regional dispute. Over 113 countries now supp ort Morocco's autonomy initiative as a serious, credible, and viable political solution to end the dispute. 'Thanks to the visionary leadership of his majesty the King, Morocco has succeeded in leading a comprehensive development process, thus strengthening its position as an emerging regional power and a reliable partner in Africa, Latin America, and beyond,' Ulloa said. Citing Morocco's assets as a key player in several sectors, the official recalled his country's cooperation with the North African country in renewable energy, citing the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex, which is one of the largest energy transition projects worldwide. Hailing Morocco's inspiring development plans, Ulloa said the country's development model combines political stability and infrastructure investment, which has allowed the country to play a central role in both African and international contexts. 'Morocco has become a regional model in terms of governance and sustainable development,' he said, recalling Morocco's key contribution to South-South cooperation, particularly with Central American and Caribbean countries.
Ya Biladi
07-07-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
John Bolton's plan to reverse Trump's Western Sahara decision with business incentives
John Bolton is proposing a strategy to Algeria and the Polisario aimed at persuading former U.S. President Donald Trump to reverse his recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a decision officially made on December 10, 2020. According to Bolton, securing Trump's support for organizing a referendum on the territory would require giving him a «motivation», as he recently explained in an interview with a Spanish media outlet. Referring to Trump's once-ambitious—and since abandoned—plan to turn Gaza into the «French Riviera of the Middle East», Bolton suggested to the Polisario and Algerian authorities that «Western Sahara has a vast Atlantic coastline. I can envision hotel complexes and casinos». He went on to say, «If Trump is convinced that his Trump Corporation could win a concession in the region to develop hotel resorts, it might catch his interest and lead him to support a referendum». For context, back in 2002, Bachir Mustapha Sayed proposed offering the United States a military base in the Sahara in exchange for recognition of the so-called «SADR», once the conflict had been resolved in the Polisario's favor. The move resulted in his prolonged marginalization. Today, the idea of incentivizing Trump to shift his position on the Sahara appears to be gaining traction in Algeria. Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui's government recently introduced a bill in Parliament allowing foreign investors to hold up to 80% of the capital in untapped hydrocarbon and mining projects, thereby reducing the share of state-owned enterprises to just 20%. Meanwhile, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hosted delegations from American oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil on June 23 and 24.
Ya Biladi
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spain : Sumar pressures PSOE over coalition pact, avoids Western Sahara dispute
In Spain, the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) is grappling with a series of corruption scandals. Despite largely positive economic indicators, including a record drop in unemployment, the party finds itself politically weakened. In response, the conservative People's Party is calling for early elections, while the far-left coalition Sumar—part of Pedro Sánchez's government—is looking to leverage the situation to its advantage. Sumar has requested a meeting with the PSOE to «assess» the coalition agreement signed between the two parties in October 2023. On Wednesday, the group submitted a document to the Socialists outlining a series of measures it expects to be implemented before the end of the current legislature, scheduled to conclude in fall 2027. The document, obtained by Yabiladi, makes no mention of Sánchez's support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, nor does it demand that the government recognize the «SADR». Notably, Sumar had already rejected the Polisario's demands during the negotiations that led to the signing of the government pact between Yolanda Díaz and Pedro Sánchez in October 2023 in Madrid. After Wednesday's meeting with the PSOE, Sumar did not threaten to quit the government, despite pressure from the Polisario. Pedro Sánchez is expected to respond to Sumar's proposals, as well as those of other political groups, on July 9 during a plenary session of the House of Representatives.
Morocco World
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
EU Says It Again: Neither EU Nor Members Recognize Self-styled SADR
Marrakech – The European Union spokesperson for Foreign Affairs crushed separatist ambitions Friday, firmly declaring that 'neither the EU nor any of its Member States recognize the SADR.' This decisive statement shattered Polisario's attempts to exploit their marginal presence at the EU-AU ministerial meeting in Rome on June 27, where the fictional entity desperately sought international validation. The EU spokesperson meticulously dismantled any misconceptions by attributing the paper state's presence exclusively to African Union invitation procedures, asserting that 'invitations to African members are sent by the African Union.' He stressed that the EU's position remains unaltered despite the separatist group's attendance. 'The modalities agreed upon provide that each party is responsible for inviting its own members,' the spokesperson articulated, effectively severing any connection between EU policies and the illusory republic's participation. This latest rejection mirrors the humiliating scenario that unfolded last May during the AU-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, where Polisario representatives encountered complete isolation and irrelevance despite maneuvering to attend under the African Union's umbrella. Just days before that Brussels meeting, the EU had already delivered an uncompromising repudiation of the phantom entity, with the bloc's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy bluntly declaring that 'neither the EU nor any of its Member States recognize the SADR.' The spokesperson had emphatically hammered home that 'the position of the EU is well known' and that the illusory entity's presence 'at the EU-AU ministerial meeting has no influence whatsoever on this position,' representing a devastating diplomatic setback for the separatist agenda. Then, in Brussels, the separatist group's diplomatic insignificance crystallized when they received merely a hastily scribbled 'SADR' label on a plain sheet of paper, while legitimate African states enjoyed full protocol honors and recognition. During the meeting, the EU's High Representative deliberately vacated the room during the brief moments when a Polisario representative attempted to address the assembly, delivering an unmistakable message of rejection and further exposing the group's political invisibility. These mounting diplomatic failures for the Algerian-fabricated entity coincide with a seismic shift in international positions regarding the Western Sahara dispute. In July 2024, the African Union Executive Council demolished the separatist narrative with a resounding verdict—52 out of 54 nations voting to exclude the pseudo-state from the pan-African body's engagements with international partners. This overwhelming decision provoked Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to erupt with claims that certain parties sought to 'institutionalize a policy of exclusion' against what he desperately characterized as 'a founding member of our organization.' Political analyst Oualid Kebir decoded this reaction as betraying a 'deep sense of pain and an explicit acknowledgment of the resounding diplomatic defeat' absorbed by Algeria, which had previously manipulated the fictional entity into positions within African institutions. The international community increasingly gravitates toward Morocco's 2007 Autonomy Plan as the definitive solution, supported by nearly two decades of UN resolutions endorsing this approach as the optimal route to a politically viable settlement. The momentum behind Morocco's territorial integrity continues to accelerate, with the United Kingdom recently joining the expanding coalition of 120 countries backing Morocco's plan—signaling the irreversible collapse of the separatist illusion. The fictitious 'SADR' entity, a destabilizing relic that only exists in Tindouf camps, remains propped up by Algeria while the actual territory thrives under Morocco's rightful and legitimate control. In another crippling blow to the Polisario's secessionist agenda, US Congressman Joe Wilson, alongside Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta, has submitted a bipartisan bill seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization, potentially subjecting it to stringent sanctions and complete diplomatic isolation. Just hours after this legislative push, the front delivered a confirmatory nudge to show its terror intentions by launching projectiles near the southern Moroccan city of Es-Smara, causing panic among civilians and prompting a MINURSO field investigation of what local Sahrawi NGOs condemned as a 'hostile act' violating international law. As Morocco approaches the 50th anniversary of the Green March on November 6, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, has previously voiced optimism that this manufactured regional dispute approaches definitive resolution, potentially extinguishing Algeria's fabricated conflict and its invented proxy state. The latest EU pronouncement confirms the paper republic's deepening isolation, as the separatist agenda increasingly fades into irrelevance across international forums despite desperate maneuvers to sustain an illusion of legitimacy. Tags: European UnionSelf-proclaimed SADRWestern sahara
