The Western Sahara Conflict: Morocco vs Algeria

[Rawhide "Doug" Kobayashi]

This entry will be used for updates concerning the simmering tensions between Morocco and Algeria over the status of the Western Sahara and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Spain has recently taken Morocco's side in the conflict (which dates back to Morocco's attempt to maintain a stranglehold over the colonised Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara, one of the last colonised territories under the UN's Ungoverned People's List), which may have geopolitical implications for Europe as Algeria is one of Southwestern Europe's chief liquid natural gas suppliers and not only is a Russian ally, but is the chief benefactor of the SADR.

Naturally, as Morocco sides with the imperialist forces residing in NATO and Israel (the Moroccan foreign minister is a dual citizen), I feel sympathically inclined towards their position.

 

[Rawhide "Doug" Kobayashi]

In the latest breaking development and to the great surprise of no one, Israel has sided with Morocco against Algeria:

Israel offers support to Morocco over Western Sahara after summit
Lapid says Jerusalem and Rabat would work together to counter 'attempts to weaken Moroccan sovereignty' in Western Sahara, welcomes Spain's recognition of Moroccan control over contested territory

Israel on Monday voiced support for Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara after the countries' foreign ministers met at an historic, two-day five-way regional summit in the Negev.
Following his meeting with Nasser Bourita from Morocco, Foreign Minister and summit host Yair Lapid issued a statement that the countries would work together to counter "attempts to weaken Moroccan sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Morocco considers Western Sahara its own but an Algeria-backed independence movement demands the territory for its sovereign state. Rabat says its 2007 proposal to offer Western Sahara autonomy within Morocco is the most it can propose as a political solution to the conflict.

Lapid, echoing the sentiment of the European Commission, also lauded a recent decision by Spain to support Morocco's autonomy plan, calling it "a positive development".
Morocco's Bourita attended the regional summit in Israel alongside foreign ministers from Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE as well as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Morocco agreed to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accords that were brokered by the United States. As part of the deal that would see Rabat join the accords, and in a departure from longstanding U.S. policy, then-President Donald Trump also agreed to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Tl;dr Trump jettisoned any influence in the Western Sahara and leverage with Algeria--an energy-rich, mineral-rich nation--for some short-sighted goals with Izzy.

 

[Gawn Chippin]

...the Moroccan foreign minister is a dual citizen...

Of which second country?

 

[Rawhide "Doug" Kobayashi]

The conflict is heating up as Algeria accuses Morocco of killing Sahrawi soldiers in the Western Sahara region:

Algeria accuses Morocco of killing 3 in Western Sahara – DW – 04/12/2022

Tensions between the two north African neighbors have risen again after reports of a Moroccan air strike. Algeria has claimed that the attack was "targeted."

www.dw.com

Geopolitical implications: Algeria is very close with Russia, Morocco is very close with Morocco, so this is setting itself up to become a proxy confict as well.

 

[Rawhide "Doug" Kobayashi]

Of which second country?

The Zionist Entity, naturally:

Although Morocco has de facto control of much of the territory, its claim to it is not recognized by the UN or most of the international community, although the US did agree to recognize its sovereignty in 2020 in exchange for concessions on Israel.

All American foreign policy in the Middle East is organised around being their security umbrella.