British Royal Institute urges UK to fully support Morocco’s proposed Autonomy Plan

In a recent report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defense and Security Studies, retired British Army officer and Middle East senior Adviser at the Ministry of Defense Simon Mayall, emphasized the significance of the United Kingdom’s full support for Morocco’s proposed Autonomy Plan for the southern territories.

The Moroccan Autonomy Plan for Sahara, submitted to the UN Security Council in 2007, says the report, envisions shared prosperity across North Africa and aligns with Morocco’s overall internal political process, initiated in 2010.

Entitled, “The UK Should Support Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara,” the report considered that “the Moroccan initiative, after 17 years, remains the only realistic, credible, forward-looking plan for the region.”

The author went on and say that the plan “is built upon a commitment to a promising political and economic future, upholding the rule of law, democratic procedures and sustained development.”

The British senior adviser highlighted that Morocco’s commitment to the southern territories over several decades is evident through significant investments in infrastructure, job creation, and economic development.

The region’s impressive growth, with a £7 return for every £1 of tax revenue, positions it as one of Morocco’s most developed areas, said the report, which is reflected in a participation rate of over 66% in the recent national elections.

Mayall shed light on the inhumane and dangerous conditions in which hundreds of thousands of refugees in Tindouf camps, across the border in Algeria, are confined.

“They live in squalid conditions, deprived of a future and powerless to effect change,”

“For the UK and other responsible leaders of the international community, the region’s security, stability, and prosperity are of vital interest,” he stressed.

However, “this threat to stability and security is already being exacerbated and accelerated by the malign influence and activities of the Iranian Qods Force and its Hezbollah proxies,” says the report, stressing that “the Iran–Hezbollah–Polisario nexus feeds on this security threat.”

The senior advisor highlighted the growing alignment between the UK and Morocco, not only in their commitment to the rule of law and respect for international human rights but also in areas such as military, energy, and food security.

This close relationship is built upon a 300-year history of trade.

“This was further emphasized in their 2019 Association Agreement, which also includes the Moroccan Sahara”, according to the same source, stressing that “the UK Court of Appeal’s dismissal of a challenge to the agreement currently provides a guarantee for UK companies looking to work in, invest in, and export to Morocco.”

The Moroccan initiative is supported by key UK allies such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the US, as well as the majority of Arab governments and some African and Caribbean countries, with many of them opening consulates in the south.

The author underscored that “those who oppose the initiative have offered no credible alternative that puts the wellbeing and prosperity of the Sahrawis at its heart, while those who are sitting on the fence are often using the issue as part of wider regional agendas.”

This call aligns with recent appeals from multiple UK Members of Parliament, urging their government to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the southern provinces.

British MP Liam stressed earlier last month that the UK should offer its full support to Morocco and recognize its sovereignty over the Sahara. He said that British recognition plays a crucial role in ensuring regional stability, security, and the economic opportunities available in the region.

Express, a British news outlet reported that “senior Conservative politicians are pressuring Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron to change UK policy and recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.”

Member of the British House of Lords, Lord Daniel Hannan, urged last month his government to recognize Morocco’s “full sovereignty” over its Sahara and advocated for bolstering commercial ties between the two kingdoms.