The Morocco-proposed autonomy plan for the Sahara is a credible and realistic solution to establish peace, foster development and counter destabilizing separatist and terrorist movements in the Sahel region, Indian academic and African issues expert, Suresh Kumar, said.
In an article published in the latest issue of Delhi University’s Indian Journal of African Studies, Kumar combs through the complex challenges facing the Sahel region, highlighting the key role of the Autonomy Initiative in the Moroccan Sahara in addressing these issues.
The article argues that the proven links between “polisario” separatists and terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Islamic State (IS) represent a serious threat to regional security.
“These organizations exploit conflict and socio-economic weaknesses to gain a foothold in the region, threatening all neighboring countries,” Kumar wrote.
In this context, the Indian academic delved into Morocco’s autonomy plan, which is part of a multidimensional strategy that has enabled the Kingdom to establish itself as “a key player in the fight against international terrorism.”
He pointed out that Morocco has invested massively in its southern provinces, developing key infrastructures such as the Dakhla Atlantic port, modern freeways and ambitious agricultural projects.
These investments, he added, are accompanied by renewable energy initiatives that reflect Morocco’s commitment to a sustainable development model.
These efforts aim to make the Moroccan Sahara “a strategic gateway between Sahelian Africa, Europe and the rest of the world,” while facilitating trade and economic exchanges, the expert stressed.
It also highlights the social initiatives implemented in the Moroccan Sahara, notably the promotion of Hassani culture and the development of educational and health programs.
These measures are aimed at consolidating local identity within a democratic and participatory framework, while strengthening the social and economic inclusion of the populations of the Kingdom’s southern provinces.
The expert said that the Moroccan autonomy plan enjoys growing international support as a serious and credible solution for a definitive settlement of the artificial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
He pointed to the support given to the Moroccan initiative by influential nations such as the United States, Spain and Germany, as well as the opening of some thirty consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla.
This international support further isolated separatist claims, often associated with criminal and terrorist activities, and strengthens Morocco’s position as a regional stability pillar, the researcher highlighted.
On the security front, Morocco’s multidimensional strategy is embodied in close cooperation with its regional and international partners, as well as in the consolidation of its intelligence and surveillance capabilities via institutions such as the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), which plays a crucial role in dismantling terrorist cells, he said.
These efforts are part of a broader pan-African vision, consistent with the objectives of the African Union and its Agenda 2063, the expert maintained.
He added that strategic projects in West Africa, such as the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, illustrate the Kingdom’s determination to connect African economies while promoting regional integration.
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