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Polisario leader Ibrahim Ghali sent, Sunday, a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, regarding recent Spanish media reports. The reports claimed that the Spanish Prime Minister offered to transfer management of the Sahara's airspace to Morocco during his visit to Rabat.
In the letter, Ghali warned that if Spain confirms its intention to transfer airspace management to Morocco, «this would constitute a violation of the international status of the territory as a territory included in the United Nations list awaiting decolonization, as well as of Spain's international obligations as the administering state of Western Sahara».
Spain has consistently denied any responsibility for managing the Sahara's airspace. They maintain, through a letter sent by their Permanent Representative to the UN in 1976, that they have no such relationship with the territory.
«This step would also further destabilize the ongoing efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to revive the stalled United Nations peace process in Western Sahara», Ghali added in his letter.
Since Prime Minister Sanchez's return from Rabat, where he held talks with King Mohammed VI on February 21, Spanish media have reported on the potential transfer of control of the Sahara airspace to Morocco. These reports suggest that Sanchez may have agreed to this transfer in exchange for the opening of customs in Ceuta and Melilla.
Spanish diplomatic sources, speaking to El Confidencial Digital, confirmed that a «working group» dedicated to this issue has met twice so far. Additionally, Rabat and Madrid have reportedly established a «technical commission» to discuss the technical and security aspects of airspace management in the region.
It is important to note that Point 7 of the Morocco-Spain Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, states that «discussions concerning airspace management will be initiated» between the two countries.
