Russia condemns US move to recognize Morocco sovereignty over Western Sahara

Posted On 11 December 2020

Number of times this article was read : 108
From Shield & Alert:
Libya’s Abnormal New NormalNiger: More Russian Weapons and Military Instructors Land in NiameySenegal at the Center of Another Geopolitical FightMali: Al Qaeda attacks rebel convoy in the Ouagadou forestFrom a Russian Grain Export Onslaught to a Ban on French Cattle: Agricultural Trade Between France and Algeria in StandstillNiger and Algeria recall their ambassadors over undocumented migrantsSenegal: Disgraced President leaves office to find shelter in MarrakeshMorocco: Health workers go on strike, demand implementation of reformsAlgeria: President announces early election, no one knows whyAlgeria: Beware of forgery. New law seeks to reduce fraud and white collar crimeMorocco: Price of butane gas to increase by 25% in AprilUS-Niger relations face uncertainty, with Niamey’s pivot to RussiaBrief: Tunisia: The Lazy GovernorsAlgeria: Opposition leader Zoubida Assoul announces presidential bidAgriculture: Spanish farmers say Moroccan strawberries carry virus, as Morocco surpasses Spain as tomato supplier to EUBloody Sunday: The indiscriminate killing of Muslim and Catholic worshipers in Burkina FasoNiger and Mali up their anti-Western positions, lash out at France and USNiger: Two soldiers killed in insurgent attack in DiffaMali: Katiba Mecina insurgents raid military camp in Niono, repelledSenegal’s outgoing president prepares for disgraced exit
1193 issue: week ending 17 December 2020

Russia on Friday condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying it contravened international law. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov called the US decision “unilateral”, Russian news agencies reported, adding that “there are relevant resolutions, there is the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.” “This is a violation of international law,” Bogdanov said.

Western Sahara is a disputed and divided former Spanish colony, mostly under Morocco’s control, where tensions with the pro-independence Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s. The Algerian-backed movement holds a fifth of Western Sahara and has campaigned for a vote on self-determination through decades of war and deadlock.

With barely a month left in office, Trump fulfilled a decades-old goal of Morocco’s by backing its sovereignty in Western Sahara. The move was part of the outgoing US leader’s diplomatic push to bring Israel and Arab states together. He announced on Thursday that Morocco was now the fourth Arab state this year to recognise Israel. Russia’s Bogdanov said Moscow saluted better ties between Morocco and Israel. “That Arab countries are building bridges with Israel is positive, we can only support this,” he said. But, he added, this should not be done “at the expense of the interests of the Palestinian people”.

AFP
Other Articles in this Week's IssueAlgeria: Recovering from Covid, President says he will return from Germany in two-to-three weeks >>
The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Libya’s Abnormal New Normal

Libya’s Abnormal New Normal

By Arezki Daoud: Since 2011, Libya has been engulfed in a bloody civil war after the death of Muammar Gaddafi. Over the years, it was easy to identify the problem:  too many foreign regional players and global powers meddling in Libya’s affairs, explicitly or...

From a Russian Grain Export Onslaught to a Ban on French Cattle: Agricultural Trade Between France and Algeria in Standstill

From a Russian Grain Export Onslaught to a Ban on French Cattle: Agricultural Trade Between France and Algeria in Standstill

Agricultural trade between France and Algeria is experiencing challenges that are primarily affecting French exporters. From the onslaught of the Russian grain exports to Algeria, essentially displacing French exporters, to Algeria banning French cattle due to EHDV disease, not all is well between Algeria and France in the agricultural trade sector. The most affected parties in this situation are French producers and exporters, who are looking for new initiatives to fight back.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This