Liberia Reaffirms Support for Morocco's Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty Over Moroccan Sahara

The Republic of Liberia has once again expressed its unwavering support for Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara region. This position was reiterated during a meeting between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Liberian counterpart, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, held in Rabat, Morocco.

During the meeting, Nyanti reaffirmed Liberia's backing for Morocco's 2007 autonomy initiative as the only credible and realistic solution to the long-standing dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. She also welcomed the efforts of the United Nations as the exclusive framework for achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict.

Bourita expressed gratitude for Liberia's constant and firm support for Morocco's territorial integrity, highlighting the opening of a Liberian consulate in the city of Dakhla in 2020 and Liberia's participation in a ministerial conference on the autonomy initiative in 2021 as tangible examples of this support.

Nyanti emphasized the strategic role of Morocco's southern provinces as a major African hub and called for leveraging their development experience as a basis for crafting Africa-wide development policies. She also praised Morocco's efforts, led by King Mohammed VI, to facilitate access for Sahel states to the Atlantic Ocean, aiming to transform the African Atlantic space into a practical geo-strategic framework for cooperation and development among African nations.

Why this matters: Liberia's reaffirmation of support for Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara underscores the growing international recognition of Morocco's position on this issue. It also highlights the potential for Morocco's southern provinces to serve as a model for development and regional integration in Africa.

The two countries agreed to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture, health, fertilizers, fisheries, investment, water, and tourism. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in capacity building through scholarships and vocational training, and committed to establishing a strong economic partnership by involving the private sector and contributing to sustainable development. Morocco and Liberia also welcomed the progress of the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline megaproject and agreed to hold the third joint cooperation commission before the end of the second semester of 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Liberia reaffirms support for Morocco's sovereignty over Sahara region.
• Liberia backs Morocco's 2007 autonomy initiative as solution to dispute.
• Morocco and Liberia agree to strengthen cooperation in various sectors.
• Liberia praises Morocco's efforts to facilitate Sahel states' access to Atlantic.
• Morocco and Liberia welcome progress on Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project.