Recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Sahara, a strategic financial alternative for UK
“Global Britain must not overlook the economic opportunity in recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara,” emphasised a report printed on Thursday by Business Insider Africa, a pan-African progressive enterprise information supplier.
It acknowledged that the “UK faces a unique opportunity to redefine its trade and foreign policy agendas in the post-Brexit era and in light of the recent election which saw the Labour party return to power after 14 years.”
The identical supply additionally emphasised that the UK should strengthen ties with democratic allies throughout Africa, contemplating it a prime precedence, “with Morocco standing out as a particularly interesting opportunity.”
It defined that this could be by “finally joining European allies in recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over its Sahara, considering the strategic and economically promising pathways that this could potentially create.”
The report famous that “supporting Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara could unlock significant benefits, such as advancing renewable energy relationships and building robust trade agreements in a challenging geopolitical landscape. However, the UK has yet to take this step.”
“As the UK navigates a sea of post-Brexit challenges and looks for partners that align with its long-term ambitions, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty, in line with the policies taken by its European allies, should be at the top of Labour’s foreign policy agenda,” reads the report whereas shedding mild on “France’s stance on the issue and Macron’s speech about his country’s intended investments and initiatives for the local population.”
The identical supply famous that “this alignment in foreign policy objectives would also allow Britain to benefit from Morocco’s ambitious Dakhla Atlantic Port project,” a transparent instance of the dominion’s Atlantic Vision, which goals “to strengthen Africa’s economic resilience and integrate its potentially lucrative markets with global trade routes.”
Elucidating the a number of strengths of the Dakhla Atlantic Port challenge, the report talked about that the UK’s renewable vitality agenda may gain advantage from the port, which is projected to deal with over 35 million tons of cargo yearly, together with inexperienced hydrogen.
It additionally highlighted Morocco’s dedication to renewable vitality, mirrored within the initiatives launched by the dominion, and emphasised the strategic significance of the Dakhla area in advancing sustainable vitality options.
“Britain’s recently elected Labour government has made its commitment to achieving net-zero goals by 2050 abundantly clear, adding a further component to the relevance of Morocco to achieving this agenda,” defined the article.
The identical supply additionally talked about that Morocco’s huge renewable vitality infrastructure, together with the Noor Ouarzazate photo voltaic complicated, positions it as a key clear vitality producer “with the potential to export energy to Europe and the UK.”
It mentioned that the Dakhla Atlantic Port will strengthen these ambitions by turning into a sustainable commerce and logistics hub, driving financial improvement in Morocco’s southern provinces whereas transitioning from hydrocarbons to renewable vitality as a part of the nation’s inexperienced transformation technique.
Beyond vitality, the report famous that the broader commerce relationship between the UK and Morocco, although already important, holds even larger potential. The 2019 UK-Morocco Association Agreement has pushed regular commerce development, surpassing £2.7 billion in 2022.
Recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara might additional strengthen financial ties, encouraging British funding in sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, and mining, underscored the identical supply.
It emphasised that “aligning with Morocco’s Atlantic Vision offers a unique opportunity to achieve a balance between strategic economic interests and shared global goals, including sustainability and security,” concluding that “Recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is not merely a political gesture; it is a step toward securing a foothold in Africa’s evolving economic landscape, unlocking a sustainable and prosperous future for both nations.”
