Former South African president defends Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
- A united Africa
- Morocco and South Africa move forward in their shared history
- The Polisario, to the dustbin of history
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has marked a turning point in the history of the African National Congress (ANC) by publicly defending, during a conference organised last Tuesday in Ghana, Morocco's Autonomy Plan as a solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
Speaking at the University of Professional Studies in Accra, Zuma shed light on the danger posed by the balkanisation of the African continent into weak and divided states, vulnerable to external manipulation and stripped of authentic and legitimate sovereignty.
The leader of South Africa's third largest party criticised, in this context, the foreign policy stance of the ANC, which supports the separatist Polisario Front, and stated that its end will, sooner or later, be the dustbin of history. Zuma praised Ghana's support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan and urged others to follow its example, for the good of the entire African continent.
A united Africa
In his speech, Jacob Zuma stressed that ‘Africa must not be divided for the convenience of outsiders; the era of balkanising the continent to serve foreign agendas is over.’
The South African politician praised Ghana's position in supporting Morocco's Autonomy Plan, rejecting the separatist agenda promoted by the Polisario Front and its Algerian sponsors. This stance demonstrates Ghana's willingness to join Morocco in its shared ambition for a united Africa, free from all forms of fragmentation and conflict.
Ghana's example represents a radical change from its 1979 recognition of the self-proclaimed SADR, led by the Polisario Front. This change took place on 7 January and has now been confirmed by the presence as a witness of Nelson Mandela's successor as head of the South African government.
Ghana's decision was reaffirmed in June, when Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, signed a joint statement with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita that highlighted the exclusivity of the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco in 2007 as the only realistic and sustainable basis for a mutually acceptable solution.
In parallel with this positive change of position, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party published a document last June supporting Morocco's Autonomy Plan and rejecting the Polisario's claims. Zuma then stated that ‘Western Sahara historically belongs to Morocco, hailing the Green March of 1975 as a moment of liberation’.
Despite criticism from both the ANC and political analysts in his country, Zuma strongly defended his right to use the South African flag, pointing to the diplomatic note from the South African Embassy to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 11 July, which directly contradicts the ANC's position.
Morocco and South Africa move forward in their shared history
The MK party leader highlighted the flourishing bilateral relationship between South Africa and Morocco, pointing to more than 20 agreements in areas including trade, defence, agriculture and communication technologies.
These ties between the two African countries must be consolidated for the common good not only of the two nations, but of the entire African continent, in order to have a strong and united Africa.
Jacob Zuma's renewed activism on the international stage, despite criticism, is seen, especially in Accra, as an opportunity to review South Africa's foreign policy, as well as a bold rectification of the country's position on the Moroccan Autonomy Plan and the Polisario Front.
In this vein, South Africa's diplomatic rapprochement with Morocco, which began in May 1998 in Cape Town during the first session of the Morocco-South Africa Joint Commission, co-chaired by Aicha Belarbi and Aziz Pahad, is noteworthy. At this high-level meeting, several framework agreements were signed, contributing to the consolidation of bilateral relations.
However, this positive momentum was weakened when Pretoria officially recognised the Polisario entity RASD on 15 September 2004, under the administration of President Thabo Mbeki. This move led Morocco to withdraw its ambassador from South Africa.
The Polisario, to the dustbin of history
After Ghana joined the more than 120 countries that support Morocco's territorial integrity, more than 60% of UN member states, the Polisario Front is on the road to weakening and ending up ‘in the dustbin of history,’ according to statements by Jacob Zuma.
The support garnered by Moroccan diplomacy on the international stage is a significant milestone in the history of the Western Sahara conflict: 46 countries, including 13 African nations, have ceased to recognise the Polisario Front as a state since 2000.
These results are increasingly widening the zone of isolation in which the separatist front is confined, which, according to Zuma, is a fictitious entity with no future in Africa.
In this context, the former South African president clarified that the carefully choreographed meetings between Polisario figures and those loyal to the NCA, including in Accra, are nothing more than empty performances, revealing their strong dependence on South Africa's weak diplomatic influence.
On the one hand, Polisario's support continues to disappear throughout Africa, with the recent backing of Kenya and Ghana for Morocco's Autonomy Plan alongside major international powers such as the United States, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, Zuma's statements in Ghana represent another crushing blow for the separatist group on the international stage.