A historic decision worth two
The health crisis and the war in Ukraine are transforming the world at a gigantic pace, where the volatility of geopolitics is forcing the geostrategic chessboard to adjust. Spain's recognition of the autonomy of the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty opens a new era in Spanish-Moroccan relations.
Indeed, no one can imagine a Sahrawi republic presided over by the military and monitored by the Algerian military junta in the midst of an area mined by Aqmi, Boko Haram, al-Chabab, etc. terrorists, to which should be added Hezbollah militias under instructions from Algeria and Iran.
Morocco is historically right and in accordance with international law. That is why the US, Trump and Biden, beyond the restoration of relations between Morocco and Israel that have always existed and will always exist, like the UK, France and Germany and the international community in general, have been accepting the Moroccan ownership of the Sahara on the basis of an intelligent reading of the geopolitical dynamics prevailing in the area.
As we have already said, Spain was expected to give unequivocal support to the UN's R-2602 in favour of the autonomy plan for the Southern Provinces under Moroccan sovereignty. Spain's decision reaffirms its customary commitment to UN decisions as a frame of reference. And Sánchez's decision is in line with this logic.
Spain has taken a historic step in communicating its position to King Mohammed VI, considering the Moroccan proposal for autonomy for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty as "the most serious, credible and realistic basis for the settlement of this dispute". This supports a key issue for Morocco, which considered a return to the status quo prior to the reception of Polisario Ghali to be inconceivable. A historic step that the Moroccan people had been waiting for a long time. No one understood Spain's position towards its historical, geographical and strategic neighbour. The Spanish decision is not only worth two for the benefit of both neighbours, it is worth twice as much as the German decision, to cite a nearby example.
Minister Albares, whenever he was asked about relations with Morocco, replied that "Spain acts in defence of its strategic interests", but he forgot that these are common interests, that is, they are the same ones that Morocco defends and shares. This is why the main challenge lies in shaping a new Spanish-Moroccan alliance in accordance with the new geopolitical dynamics of the common space. Spain and Morocco must inaugurate new and unprecedented relations on a par with or superior to Franco-Moroccan ones.
In the meantime, there is an urgent need to act with a clear vision, jointly, building bridges between the EU and the AU to consolidate economic, migratory, defensive and security cooperation in the face of the challenges posed by the instability of the Sahel, which Algeria and the Polisario are willing to foment.
Algeria and the Polisario are history, and the Kingdoms of Spain and Morocco are the present and the future.