Senegal reiterated, before members of the United Nations (UN) Committee of 24 (C-24) in Bali, its support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as “the appropriate framework” for resolving the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
Intervening at the Committee of 24 (C-24) Pacific Regional Seminar, held in Indonesia between May 24 and 26, the Senegalese representative stressed that the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco in 2007 is in line with international law, the United Nations (UN) Charter, and the resolutions of the General Assembly (GA) and the Security Council (SC), which describe Morocco’s proposal as serious and credible.
In this context, the Senegalese diplomat praised the efforts of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to relaunch the political process, with visits to the parties concerned in January, July, and September 2022, and informal bilateral consultations held with these parties in New York.
Senegal’s representative also reiterated his country’s support for a final, just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution through a process conducted under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations (UN), based on successive Security Council (SC) resolutions since 2007, urging all parties to continue the constructive dynamic instilled by the two Geneva roundtables to ensure the successful outcome of the political process initiated by the United Nations (UN).
The Senegalese diplomat praised Morocco’s “significant” progress in its Sahara, notably in promoting human rights and democracy, and the “considerable” efforts invested in promoting the region’s economic and social development and the empowerment of the region’s citizens.
“These efforts have convinced us of Morocco’s determination to resolve this dispute once and for all,” said the Senegalese representative, noting that in support of this policy, Senegal inaugurated its consulate general in Dakhla on April 5, 2021.
The Senegalese diplomat also underlined that 28 governments from African, Arab, Latin American, and Asian countries have already opened consulates in the Moroccan Sahara to strengthen the economic and social opportunities in the region.
Senegal’s representative also welcomed the participation of representatives from the Moroccan Sahara elected during the Moroccan elections of September 2021 in meetings and discussions such as the Geneva roundtables, the C-24 sessions, and its regional seminars, adding that such initiatives reinforce Senegal’s optimism about a successful outcome to this regional conflict.
The Senegalese diplomat also stressed the importance of respecting the 1991 ceasefire for the stability of the region, praising Morocco’s constant cooperation with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the Kingdom’s respect for the ceasefire.