C-24: The Gambia Reiterates ‘Full Support’ for Morocco’s ‘Legitimate Sovereign Rights’ over Sahara

The Gambia reiterated in New York its “full support for the legitimate sovereign rights of the Kingdom of Morocco over all its territories, including the Moroccan Sahara.” Speaking at the annual meeting of the UN C-24, the deputy permanent representative of the Gambia to the UN, Lamine Faty recalled that in January 2020, his country inaugurated a consulate general in the city of Dakhla “in order to deepen the diplomatic ties between our two countries.” “We firmly believe that the development of a constructive, credible and sustainable approach to resolve the Sahara issue must take into account the sovereignty and territorial rights of Morocco,” he stressed. The Gambian diplomat reaffirmed the “firm support” of his country to the Moroccan autonomy plan, which, according to him, “is a serious and realistic compromise solution that can resolve this regional dispute and contribute to the security and stability of the Sahel region.” The autonomy plan presented by Morocco is consistent with the obligations of international law, noted the representative of the Gambia. Furthermore, the Gambia reaffirmed its support for the political process underway under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and welcomed the appointment of Staffan De Mistura as the SG’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara. “We hope that his efforts will stimulate the ongoing dialogues towards a peaceful, mutually acceptable, realistic and sustainable political solution based on compromise to resolve this regional dispute,” the Gambian diplomat said. “The Gambia supports the Security Council’s call for all stakeholders to remain engaged and constructive throughout the political process. We therefore support the resumption of the round-table discussions for a third time, to propel the political dialogues towards a peaceful solution,” he stressed. He also highlighted the positive efforts undertaken by Morocco to strengthen the dynamics of socio-economic development in the southern provinces through the New Development Model. He also highlighted the efforts of Morocco in the fight against the pandemic in the southern provinces through a large vaccination campaign. “These efforts, among many others, demonstrate a strong political commitment and a willingness to resolve amicably the dispute over the Sahara,” said the Gambian representative.