 Latin American and African civil society actors have stressed the importance of supporting the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a serious, credible and objective mechanism and as the only basis to achieve a just and lasting solution to the artificial conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.
In a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, on Saturday, these actors noted that the resolution of this conflict will ensure both peace, development and prosperity in the Sahara region, highlighting the particular interest given by the Kingdom to this region through policies aimed at ensuring its economic development.
The signatories of this letter also stressed that the Moroccan autonomy initiative will allow the Kingdom to preserve its sovereignty and its territorial integrity, noting that the Sahara region will be in charge, in accordance with this initiative, of local management and economic, social, cultural and environmental planning, while the constitutional, religious, security and foreign relations fields will remain the responsibility of the central authorities, which will make it possible to create a climate favorable for development.
They further affirmed that the decision last December by the United States to recognize the full and entire sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara is a realistic position, stressing the importance of this recognition to guarantee the values of freedom and economic development.
The signatories also highlighted the strategic, economic and cultural importance of the Sahara region as well as the interest of an efficient governance of the region, underlining Morocco's status as an important ally for freedom and fight against terrorism in the region, given its contribution to the fight against terrorist groups.
The settlement of the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara requires an autonomy guaranteeing stability and development, they said, arguing that the Moroccanness of the Sahara remains the only basis to resolve the conflict which has lasted too long and to guarantee stability and freedoms.
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