The historical responsibility of Spain implies that it will have to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over the territory of the Sahara and proclaim it in a solemn declaration confirming this reality, writes Pedro Canales in an article published in the Spanish magazine "Atalayar".
The 1975 Madrid Agreement signed by Spain, Morocco and Mauritania that sealed the decolonization of the territory is "legal" and is part of official UN documents, he said.
Thus, by recognizing the sovereignty of Morocco over the Sahara, Spain "would gain political stability and security in the region which encompasses North West Africa and South West Europe" and would unlock the Greater Maghreb project, of which she would naturally be a part, points out this specialist in Maghreb issues and former correspondent for several Spanish dailies in the region.
The final settlement of the conflict over the Sahara, on the basis of autonomy within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty, "would also defuse the time bomb which hangs over the region, with terrorist groups in these territories linked to the mafias of drugs and human trafficking towards Europe," said the author of the article.