Assahafa.com
Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, recently spoke about how Resolution 2797 marks a clear diplomatic victory for Rabat, solidifying the autonomy initiative as the sole realistic framework to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Hilale made his remarks in a recent interview on BBC’s show Bila Quyud (Without Restrictions), stressing that the resolution calls for negotiations without preconditions.
“Resolution 2797 is certainly a diplomatic victory for Morocco by all standards. It enriches autonomy as the basis for resolving the Sahara issue within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Hilale said in the interview.
Hilale also dismantled arguments, including from the host, who repeatedly pressed the ambassador on the idea that the recently-adopted UN Security Council Resolution still leaves the door open for “self-determination.”
The host consistently circled back to the same point, referencing the mention of self-determination in the resolution in an attempt to put it on equal footing with the autonomy initiative.
Hilale, however, shut down the claims, stressing that the UN principles include not only self-determination, but also territorial integrity, sovereign equality, respect for borders, and good neighborliness in addition to negotiated political solutions.
“It was said that the wording is ambiguous and contains contradictions. For example, the resolution mentions looking at the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, but in another part refers to respecting UN principles, including the principle of self-determination. Is this not a contradiction?” the host asked.
Hilale emphasized how the resolution describes autonomy as the only practical basis for a political solution – a description that is not extended to any other proposal.
He also recalled how nearly 120 countries support the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, adding the initiative is not only Morocco’s position, but the basis on which the international community assesses the dispute today.
“There’s no contradiction. When they say the agreement must be based on UN principles, do we reduce UN principles only to self-determination? There is also territorial integrity. The UN Charter includes territorial integrity, respect for borders, and good-neighborliness,” he said.
“Of course, self-determination is there – it is mentioned in the first principle of the UN Charter,” he continued. “But when we move to the second article of the Charter, it includes principles such as neighborliness, resolving disputes through dialogue, and respecting countries’ territorial integrity and security.”
Hilale also emphasized how Resolution 2797 has no mention of a referendum – a notion that was buried more than two decades ago.
“The UN set aside and now speaks of a political solution… an acceptable to all parties, and feasible based on agreement between the parties on what the solution should be,” he said.
October 31 marked a historic milestone for Morocco, as 11 member states voted in favor of the Resolution, while only three abstained from voting.
Algeria notably did not vote on the resolution as part of its approach, further hampering the UN-led political process seeking to find a final settlement for the 50-year-long dispute.
The regime hosts, finances, arms, and supports Polisario’s independence claims over Western Sahara, yet refuses to take part in the UN-led political process, claiming it is merely an observer. The recently adopted UN resolution allows no room for Algeria to continue this facade, however, as it explicitly defines the regime as an official party to the dispute.
Hilale emphasized in the interview that, despite tensions, Morocco aims to offer an olive branch to establish “good neighborly ties with our Algerian brothers. We also hope to resolve an issue that has hindered the development of the Arab Maghreb for half a century.”
He added that the Moroccan initiative represents a “demonstration of Morocco’s goodwill,” adding that the proposal is a victory against separatism.
