Fear is mounting within the Polisario lobby in the UK, as British MPs have been increasingly pushing for recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara.
Labor party members overwhelmingly and successively expressed concerns over this matter, submitting several written questions to the parliament.
On 23rd January of this year, Navendu Mishra a labor party member addressed the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, asking, “what information his Department holds on the number of Moroccan and Saharawi soldiers that have died since the Moroccan military incursion into Guerguerat.”
As a response, the Conservative MP and Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, David Rutley, highlighted that “the FCDO does not hold such records.”
He went on and say, “however, we continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara including through our engagements with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and our international partners.”
Similarly, Kim Johnson, another labor party, addressed the same department, inquiring about the number of “allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara and whether those allegations have been investigated.”
In response to the Labor Party MP’s question, Rutley answered that “the UK Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.”
He added that they “are engaging on these issues at the UN and have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara.”
The rise of pro-Polisario voices within UK coincides with the recent appeals from multiple UK Members of Parliament, urging their government to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the southern provinces.
The most recent call came from Simon Mayall, a retired British Army officer and Middle East senior adviser at the Ministry of Defense, stressing the importance of the United Kingdom’s full support for Morocco’s proposed autonomy plan.
He considered that “the Moroccan initiative, after 17 years, remains the only realistic, credible, forward-looking plan for the region.
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.
Similarly, 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.
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.
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.”
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