 The “diplomatic triumph” of Morocco and the “fundamental change” created by American recognition mark an increasingly favorable trend for the autonomy initiative in the Sahara, writes on Tuesday the big Brazilian print, Folha De S. Paolo.
“The assent declared by the United States to the cause of Morocco, in 2020”, when Washington had recognized the Moroccanness of the Sahara and announced the creation of a consulate in Dakhla, “was a historic decision, because it represented a change of substance in Washington’s position since 1976”, emphasizes Mr. Fábio Albergaria De Queiroz, professor at the Higher School of Defence, in his opinion piece under the title “Contemporary challenges of the geopolitics of the Maghreb”.
The professor of international relations and geopolitics points out that to the American position is added “another important political demonstration, this time starring Spain, which, on March 18, 2022, marked the new positioning of the country” Iberian .
“President Pedro Sánchez recognized the importance of the Sahara for Morocco and defended the autonomy initiative as the best option to end the conflict. This is relevant for a very important reason: it has become clear that the links between Morocco and Spain are not limited only to the contiguity imposed by the geography that connects them, but also the construction of national identities, the Sahara being a trait that binds the destinies of the two countries,” says Folha De S.Paulo.
The recent support of major countries for the autonomy proposal reflects, according to the publication, “not only the desire for effective responses, but also the fact that the negotiation path adopted by Rabat’s diplomacy has produced the expected effects”.
And to note that “in the light of empirical evidence, such facts can be interpreted as a diplomatic triumph of Rabat insofar as, at the same time, in this complex geopolitical dispute, the Algerian position is weakened”.
The expert notes that “if, on the one hand, the evidence still suggests that overcoming the mistrust that persists is still a distant desire, on the other, a look supported by detailed pragmatism shows that the actions undertaken by Morocco may be the harbinger of a new chapter in Maghreb international relations”.
Conflicts, he explains, “are resolved by means of the normative gear resulting from this process of governance. This, in turn, would involve the consolidation of a positive-sum game in which the gains can be mutual and benefit all”.
“In this ontological configuration, we cannot prevent ourselves from launching, even succinctly, a look at the possible correlations between our universe of analysis and Brazil”, notes the same source, specifying that by including the South Atlantic and , more specifically, the West African coast in the list of its vital interests, Brazil “has the possibility of recognizing that a more stable and integrated Maghreb means, in theory, less risk of endogenous threats transposed into areas deemed to be priorities for national interests”.
The Brazilian expert concludes that “what the examples have demonstrated is that the autonomy proposal seems to be the one that, objectively, presents itself as the most feasible in this long path towards the stability of the northern part of the Africa which, if materialized, has great potential to translate into gains for Brazil”.
Thus, the history of animosities between Morocco and Algeria, two countries that are fundamental for the construction of structural regional stability, finds its origin in an undesirable legacy that dates back to the colonial era, an extremely sensitive and with deleterious effects for the whole of the Maghreb.
“Given the complexity of a geopolitical problem that has dragged on for decades, the proposal for the autonomy of the Sahara as presented by Morocco in 2007 (…) should be considered by the parties concerned. Because such an alternative can open the way to a solution that seems to be possible, credible, for a satisfactory outcome to this imbroglio”, concludes Mr. Fabio De Queiroz.
|