Many African states reaffirmed their support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and lauded the development efforts undertaken by Morocco. They stressed that settling the Sahara issue would be conducive to peace and security in the Sahel. “Putting an end to the Sahara issue is essential to the quest for the consolidation of peace and stability throughout the African continent,” Côte d’ivoire’s representative to the UN told the fourth committee. Echoing him, Gabon’s representative stressed that settling the Sahara dispute would enable better cooperation to address pressing security issues in the Sahel. Morocco has offered an autonomy initiative granting substantive power to the local population in the Sahara in managing their local affairs within the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 17, 2019 10:07 UTC