A move comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration recognized Morocco’s bid for the disputed region.
The United States has begun the process of developing a consulate in Western Sahara, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, just weeks after the Donald Trump administration formally recognized Morocco’s claim to the disputed region.
In a brief statement on Thursday, Pompeo said it was “adding a significant presence role for Western Sahara, with a focus on promoting economic and social development, to be followed shortly by a consulate dedicated to working perfectly ”.
A virtual presence role allows U.S. console officials and staff to conduct remote diplomatic communications without having to be physically located in a designated city or region.
The State Department said the role of the Western Sahara’s virtual presence would be regulated by the U.S. embassy in Rabat, the Moroccan capital.
The Trump administration announced on December 10 that it recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara as part of a broken US treaty that saw Morocco and Israel agree to establish formal diplomatic relations.
Morocco is the fourth country to sign a normalization agreement with Israel in recent months at the behest of the US, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Moroccan forces and Algeria-backed movement, Polisario Front, have been fighting over the disputed territory – a large area bordering Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria previously under control. Spain – for decades.
Washington’s recognition of Morocco’s claim to the region drew criticism from the Polisario Front, which condemned it as “a clear violation of the United Nations charter and resolutions of international legitimacy”.
The U.S. was the first country in the world to recognize Morocco’s claim, William Lawrence, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of America, told Al Jazeera at the time.
“It is a huge success for Moroccan diplomatic and lobbying efforts,” he said.
The U.S. said it continues to support the Moroccan proposal to grant limited independence to Sahrawis under broad Moroccan control.
“The United States is looking forward to this increased dialogue and will continue to support political talks to resolve the issues between Morocco and POLISARIO within the framework of Morocco’s devolution plan,” Pompeo said in a statement Thursday.