Ghana deputy foreign affairs minister, Okudzeto Ablakwa (left) exchanging endorsements with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita
* Ghana’s position is reaffirmed by deputy foreign minister Okudzeto Ablakwa during his first visit to the Kingdom of Morocco since his recent appointment
* The visit follows the decision to suspend diplomatic relations with the so-called ‘SADR’ which was taken on January 7, 2025, by his predecessor
* This comes after United Kingdom government endorsed on June 1 Morocco’s autonomy plan as most credible, viable and pragmatic solution for resolving the regional dispute
By Patrick Njawala, Contributor
The Republic of Ghana has joined the governments of the United Kingdom (UK) and Kenya in supporting the Kingdom of Morocco’s autonomy plan in solving what is described as an ‘artificial conflict’ in the Western Sahara — describing it as mutually acceptable solution.
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The UK government already endorsed the plan on June 1 as the most credible, viable and pragmatic solution for resolving the regional dispute and Ghana followed up with its position to reaffirm the plan by that country’s deputy foreign affairs minister, Okudzeto Ablakwa, during his first visit to the Kingdom of Morocco since his recent appointment.
The visit follows the decision to suspend diplomatic relations with the so-called ‘SADR’ which was taken on January 7, 2025, by his predecessor.
In a Joint Communiqué signed at the end of the meeting held yesterday in Rabat between Ablakwa and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, says based on recent developments, “the Republic of Ghana welcomes the efforts of the United Nations as the exclusive framework for achieving a realistic, practical, and lasting solution to this regional dispute”.
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“This position is part of the international momentum driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, in favour of the autonomy plan and the Kingdom’s sovereignty over its Sahara.
“Thanks to the impetus given to the Moroccan Sahara issue by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, 46 countries, including 13 African countries, have severed or suspended relations with the so-called ‘SADR’ since 2000.”
Ablakwa’s visit to Morocco comes 10 days after that of Kenyan foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, whose country is a Commonwealth member — just as Ghana is also a member of the Commonwealth since March 6, 1957.
On that occasion, Mudavadi expressed his country’s support for the Moroccan Sovereign Autonomy Initiative Autonomy Plan which is constantly evolving within English-speaking Africa and within the group of African countries that are members of the Commonwealth.
Ghana is the 12-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which 11 do not recognise the SADR while 9 have Consulates General in southern provinces.
The proposed Autonomy Plan is that Sahrawis would run their government under Moroccan sovereignty and also indicates that Morocco will control defense and foreign affairs.
It comes following 50-year-old Western Sahara territorial dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is fully supported by Algeria.
The Moroccan government terms the dispute as ‘artificial’ because it is a result of the politics of the then Cold War rather than real differences between Libya/Algeria versus Morocco.
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The conflict stems from the end of Spanish colonial rule in 1975, when Morocco and Mauritania claimed control over the territory, leading to a war between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which sought independence.
The endorsement of the plan by the United Kingdom is described as significant as the UK government is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The endorsement by the UK government
Speaking on the sidelines of endorsement, Moroccan Ambassador to Malawi Abdelkader Naji said: “The UK position reflects and emphasises that the Autonomy Plan is fully consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions.”
The Autonomy Plan, proposed in 2007 and fully advocated for by Morocco’s King Mohammed, has been previously endorsed by the United States, Spain, France, Kenya and others.
If implemented, it has potential to bring stability to north Africa and further boost its economic development and regional integration which has been affected by the conflict — the only African region blocked by this conflict.—Edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
