Morocco removes Sahara mention from EU human rights report with Spanish MEP support

Morocco scored a major diplomatic victory last week by removing any mention of the Moroccan Sahara from the European Parliament’s annual report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World.

This achievement hinged on a coordinated effort by Moroccan diplomats and a key Spanish politician, Nacho Sánchez Amor. Sánchez Amor, a prominent member of the European Parliament’s socialist group, was the coordinator responsible for drafting and presenting the report.

Ahead of the vote, Moroccan ambassadors across Europe contacted MEPs via emails. These emails vehemently opposed an amendment proposed by two Spanish left-wing MEPs, Miguel Urbán and Manu Pineda. 

The amendment called for the European Parliament to pay specific attention to alleged human rights violations in “illegally occupied territories,” including the Sahara.

The ambassadors called on the MEPs to reject the amendment, framing it as detrimental to fostering positive relations between the EU and Morocco. This strategy targeted a potential vulnerability, the ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two parties. 

While some amendments, like the one calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, passed with narrow majorities, Morocco focused on removing any concerns related to the Moroccan Sahara. 

The key moment came with Amendment 25. the Socialists under Sánchez Amor’s leadership proposed a split vote. The first vote would consider the main text of the amendment without the specific mention of “Palestine and Western Sahara.” Then, a separate vote would be held solely on the excluded words.

Convinced by the socialists and including liberals and members of the European People’s Party, a large majority of MEPs, 386 MEPs, voted to remove any mention of Palestine and “Western Sahara” from the amendment. 

110 MPs, from The Left and the Greens, voted in favour of maintaining it, while 24 abstained.

This isn’t the first time Spanish socialists have intervened in support of Morocco. In 2021, during a diplomatic spat, the socialist group leader, Iratxe García, intervened against a Saharawi activist, Sultana Khaya, being a finalist for the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights.