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Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita commented on the Sahara partition proposal recently suggested by the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, confirming that «he did indeed present this plan during his last visit to Morocco in April».
«Morocco reiterated its clear position, the same stance it took in 2002 when James Baker proposed a similar idea at Algeria's suggestion, as mentioned in the report of the then-Secretary-General», Bourita said on Monday during a press conference in Rabat with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna.
Bourita stressed that «Morocco’s response remains unchanged: first, this so-called 'new' proposal is actually old, and second, our position is the same as it was in 2002».
«As His Majesty the King has confirmed, Morocco is not negotiating its Sahara, nor its sovereignty over the Sahara, nor its national unity. What Morocco is negotiating is a territorial dispute with a neighboring country that questions its sovereignty over its own territory».
«The Sahara, along with Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, will not be up for negotiation, nor will they be open to understandings or compromises», Bourita argued. «The Moroccan delegation made it clear to Mr. de Mistura that such ideas are outright rejected and not even worth discussing. Morocco has not, and will not, entertain these proposals because they are in direct contradiction to the stance of the Moroccan state and its people—that the Sahara is Moroccan and is an integral part of Moroccan territory».
Who is behind this «new» old proposal
Bourita further questioned the origin of de Mistura’s proposal, saying: «Since de Mistura raised this issue, he should clarify where this idea came from—who inspired him, who encouraged him to put it forward as he did in April. Was this his own initiative, or did certain parties push him to reintroduce it? And what rationale or logic prompted him to revive this dead-on-arrival proposal?»
Bourita also addressed de Mistura's request for Morocco to elaborate on its autonomy proposal, affirming that Morocco’s position is «clear and based on four key points».
First, he said, «The autonomy initiative is an end point, not a starting point». Second, «This initiative continues to enjoy strong international support, thanks to the momentum created by His Majesty the King, whether through the establishment of consulates or the positions of major powers. The international community views this initiative as the framework for resolving this regional dispute».
Third, Bourita emphasized, «This initiative has its red lines, which are non-negotiable, although there is room for details in certain areas».
Finally, he stated that «Only when the other parties accept the autonomy initiative as the sole basis for negotiations, and respect these red lines, can we begin discussing specifics».
«But in the absence of a serious, public, and clear commitment from the other parties to engage on the basis of the autonomy initiative, such discussions are off the table and premature», Bourita concluded.
