Polisario protests official Spanish document recognizing Laayoune as a Moroccan city

The Polisario Front has sent a letter to the Spanish Minister of Culture and Sports, Ernest Urtasun de Sumar, protesting an official document published in the country's Official Bulletin that situates Laayoune within Moroccan territory.

In the letter, Polisario representative Abdellah Arabi considers the recognition of Laayoune as a Moroccan city to be a «violation of international law». He cites the «judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in 2016, 2018, and 2021, which recognized the right of the Sahrawi people to free self-determination».

Arabi urges Minister Urtasun to take steps to ensure that «the Spanish administration does not contribute to hindering the legitimate right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence».

This letter follows another sent by Arabi protesting the planned opening of a Spanish hotel group in Dakhla next May.