Since the announcement of the Spanish decision, which considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, the Spanish press has been quick to react.
Friday, March 18, Pedro Sanchez, President of the Spanish government declared that he “recognizes the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco”. As such, “Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative, presented in 2007, as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute”.
This announcement was immediately commented on by the Spanish press, which recalls the historic relationship between the two countries. The newspaper El Pais headlined “Spain takes sides with Morocco in the Sahara conflict”.
The article states that “Spain abandons its traditional position of neutrality in the Sahara conflict and sides with Morocco”, considering the Moroccan autonomy proposal “as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute. “.
El Pais specifies that this decision is the fruit “of several months of negotiations between the two foreign ministries and implies the respect of the condition imposed by Morocco to fully normalize its relations”, before adding that “the press release underlines the Morocco’s serious and credible efforts within the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict which has lasted for 47 years”.
Still according to El Pais, this announcement will “close the file of the diplomatic crisis triggered by the entry into Spain of Brahim Ghali”.
For his part El Espanol, underlined that “the thaw of relations between Spain and Morocco has begun. The thaw of bruised relations between Spain and Morocco has begun. Pedro Sánchez has yielded to the demands of HM King Mohammed VI and changed Spain’s traditional historical position regarding the dispute over Sahara sovereignty”.
Same story at ABC which titles “Sánchez gives in to Morocco to end the diplomatic crisis”. The media specifies that “the official breaks with the classic line of Spanish foreign policy regarding the Sahara, which advocated the holding of a referendum sponsored by the UN”.
As a reminder, the President of the Spanish government highlighted that the “two countries are inextricably united by affections, history, geography, interests and a shared friendship”. Sánchez said he was “convinced that the destinies of the two peoples are also, and that “the prosperity of Morocco is linked to that of Spain, and vice versa”.
