Moroccan Sahara: Other European Countries Likely to Follow Spain’s Lead – Former UN Official –

Other European countries are likely to follow Spain’s lead in supporting the Moroccan autonomy initiative in the Sahara, given the Kingdom’s geopolitical importance, said former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Bernard Miyet. Spain’s new position in favor of the Moroccan autonomy initiative ”is likely to influence other European countries, given the geopolitical importance of Morocco, which is a privileged partner of the European Union,” Miyet told the EU Today news portal. He added that “the Kingdom of Morocco constitutes a pole of stability in the western Mediterranean in the face of the security and migratory challenges that may arise and the Europeans wish to preserve this situation.” After recalling that the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 was described as “credible and serious” in the UN Security Council, he said that “the autonomy solution could become more attractive for certain countries which are still attached to a referendum process which has been bogged down for so long.” For the former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, France’s support for the Moroccan autonomy plan “could be a major factor in moulding a common European position”. “Following the recognition by the United States of the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, a position supported by several European countries including Germany and the Visgrad group (Poland, Czechia, Slovenia) Spain has now added its unambiguous support to the Moroccan plan,” says EU Today.