Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Challenges Morocco: Western Sahara Appears as Separate Territory on Map

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | December 31st, 2024 — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has dealt a significant blow to Morocco’s persistent efforts to obscure the legal status of Western Sahara. In a recent virtual address to Spanish peacekeeping forces abroad, Sánchez appeared with a map displaying Western Sahara as a distinct territory, sparking outrage in Rabat. This deliberate representation, in line with international legal standards, reinforces the region’s contested status and challenges Morocco’s attempts to assert sovereignty over the territory.

This move aligns with growing international recognition of Western Sahara’s right to self-determination. Sánchez’s decision to adhere to globally accepted maps, despite Morocco’s lobbying, underscores Spain’s commitment to legality and international order.

Morocco, notorious for using propaganda to justify its occupation of Western Sahara, has predictably reacted with fury. State-aligned media launched scathing attacks on Sánchez, accusing him of undermining the so-called “territorial unity” of Morocco. These reactions, however, reveal Morocco’s fragile narrative, as it scrambles to maintain a façade of control over the region.

The controversy arises amidst a broader debate over Spain’s evolving stance on Western Sahara. While Morocco celebrated Spain’s 2022 policy shift as a diplomatic victory, the reemergence of maps adhering to international law raises questions about the depth of Madrid’s concessions to Rabat. Pro-Polisario groups in Spain have applauded Sánchez’s implicit acknowledgment of Western Sahara’s distinct status, hailing it as a step toward justice for the Sahrawi people.

The Western Sahara conflict remains a litmus test for international resolve against colonial expansionism. The region’s designation as a non-self-governing territory by the United Nations, coupled with the long-unfulfilled promise of a self-determination referendum, underscores the illegitimacy of Morocco’s occupation.

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