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Othmani Rules Out US Reversal in Western Sahara Decision

AFP file photo of Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani
AFP file photo of Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani
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Othmani Rules Out US Reversal in Western Sahara Decision

AFP file photo of Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani
AFP file photo of Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani

Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani has ruled a possible move by US President-elect Joe Biden to reverse President Donald Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

Speaking at the House of Representatives (lower house) on Monday, Othmani pointed out that Trump’s decision was a culmination of years of Moroccan diplomatic efforts.

He explained that the decision was mentioned in the explanatory report of the State Department’s budget and associated programs for the years 2018 and 2019 and issued by the Congress.

The US presidential announcement is “very difficult to reverse through a Congressional law.”

Othmani considered the US decision a “historical development” rather than just a “formal, ceremonial presidential proclamation.”

It was followed by several decisions, including opening a consulate in the Western Sahara territory, in Dakhla, to promote economic and business opportunities for the region, as well as encouraging American investments in the Sahara region.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft sent a copy of Trump’s proclamation recognizing “that the entire Western Sahara territory is part of the Kingdom of Morocco” to UN chief Antonio Guterres and the Security Council earlier in December.

Also, the US adopted a “new official” map of Morocco that includes Western Sahara.

Othmani affirmed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced opening a virtual consulate in Western Sahara, with a focus on promoting economic and social development, to be followed soon by a fully functioning consulate.

He stressed that these steps reflect the seriousness of the US proclamation and its actual implementation.

The PM noted that the kingdom will increase diplomatic efforts so that other countries join the US decision.

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Libya's Anti-NGO Push Seen as Diversion from Internal Failures, Analysts Say

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah - File Photo
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah - File Photo
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Libya's Anti-NGO Push Seen as Diversion from Internal Failures, Analysts Say

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah - File Photo
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah - File Photo

Libya's suspension of 10 international humanitarian groups, part of a broader crackdown on African migrants, is aimed at masking domestic failures and securing external concessions, particularly from Europe, analysts have said, AFP reported.

Libya's Tripoli-based authorities announced on Wednesday a decision to suspend the Norwegian Refugee Council, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Terre des Hommes, CESVI and six other groups, accusing them of a plan to "settle migrants" from other parts of Africa in the country.

War-torn Libya is a key departure point on North Africa's Mediterranean coast for migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, risking dangerous sea voyages in the hope of reaching Europe.

Anas al-Gomati, director of the Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute think tank, said "this isn't about NGOs -- it's about creating enemies to distract from failures".

The UN-recognized government of Abdulhamid Dbeibah is "tapping into conservative anxieties while masking their inability to provide basic services", he told AFP.

The ultimate goal, according to Gomati, is to "extract concessions from Europe which, fearing potential migration surges, will offer new funding packages and prop up the government in Tripoli".

On Wednesday, Rome announced the allocation of 20 million euros to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to finance "voluntary repatriations" for 3,300 sub-Saharan migrants who arrived in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.

"This isn't coincidence -- its coordination. The Libyan authorities shut down NGOs providing monitoring and protection (for migrants) precisely as Italy announces 20 million euros for 'voluntary' returns," said Gomati.

"Italy gets to claim they're funding 'voluntary' returns while Libya gets to demonstrate 'sovereignty', all while vulnerable migrants face extortion in detention before being labelled 'volunteers' for deportation."

Libya analyst Jalel Harchaoui noted that the Tripoli government is adopting a similar tone to Tunisian President Kais Saied, who in early 2023 denounced what he called "hordes of sub-Saharan migrants" who threatened to "change the country's demographic composition".

Harchaoui, of the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said Dbeibah was facing considerable difficulties, particularly in gaining access to public funds, and his once pragmatic relationship with the Haftar family in the east had deteriorated.

Following the NGO ban, aid groups have expressed concern for both their Libyan colleagues and the migrants who have been made more vulnerable in a country that, according to the IOM, is home to more than 700,000 residents from sub-Saharan countries.

The International Commission of Jurists on Friday condemned the "recent collective expulsions, arrests, violent attacks and the surge of hate speech, including that which constitutes incitement to violence, against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya".

The organization noted that the Libyan interior ministry has pledged "the deportation of 100,000 migrants every four months".