Mali backs Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
Mali’s foreign minister, said on Friday that Mali was no longer recognizing the Sahrawi Republic
Mali supports Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said on Friday, becoming the latest African country to endorse Rabat's vision for ending a 50-year conflict with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
Morocco's proposal would establish a local legislative, executive, and judicial authority for Western Sahara elected by its residents, while Rabat would retain jurisdiction over defence, foreign affairs, and religious matters. The Polisario Front wants to hold a referendum with independence as an option.
Mali's endorsement follows similar moves by other countries in the region. Kenya and Ghana backed Morocco's autonomy plan last year.
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Burkina Faso is one of more than two dozen mostly African states that have a consulate in Western Sahara, reflecting full endorsement of Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed territory.
Western Sahara, a tract of desert the size of Britain, has been the subject of Africa's longest-running territorial dispute since colonial power Spain left in 1975.
Morocco considers the territory its own, while the Polisario Front seeks to establish an independent state called the Sahrawi Republic.
Diop, Mali's foreign minister, said on Friday that Mali was no longer recognizing the Sahrawi Republic.
In November, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution calling on the parties to resume negotiations on the basis of Morocco's autonomy plan.
