Morocco cheers Western Sahara absence from recent AU agenda, Polisario silent

Morocco expressed jubilation after the 37th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa concluded without mentioning the Western Sahara dispute. In statements to the press, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita declared, «The supreme organ of the pan-African institution made no reference or quotation on the national cause».

Bourita further emphasized, «Since the return of Morocco under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI to the African Union and after decision 693 on the question of the Moroccan Sahara, adopted unanimously at the Nouakchott summit in 2018, the question of Moroccan Sahara is no longer subject to the African Union. It is no longer on the agenda».

This statement references the crucial decision that established a troika to solely support UN efforts to resolve the conflict, effectively sidelining the previously Algeria- and South Africa-dominated Peace and Security Council, which Morocco viewed as biased against its position.

Tangier call, Polisario silence

However, while Morocco revels in the AU's apparent shift, the Polisario Front simmers in discontent. The separatist movement expressed anger at specific passages within the Tangier Call, incorporated into the AU Peace and Security Council report, calling for the expulsion of the self-proclaimed «SADR». Despite this outward display of frustration, the Polisario has remained remarkably silent on the overall summit conclusions. Its official news agency merely announced the summit's closure in a terse statement.

Furthermore, Polisario leader Brahim Ghali's participation in the summit was marked by a noticeable absence of bilateral talks. Even his customary meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa failed to materialize. His public appearances were limited to photos at the unveiling of a statue and participation in a lunch organized by the Kenyan president.

While Ghali may have been unable to secure audience with prominent African leaders, his «Foreign Minister», Mohamed Sidati, reportedly fared no better. The Polisario media only reported his singular meeting with Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug.