US Starts Process of Establishing Consulate in Western Sahara

US Ambassador in Morocco David T. Fischer (left) and David Schenker, the top US diplomat for the region, take a selfie wearing a Sahrawi traditional dress in Dakhla, Western Sahara, on January 10, 2021. (AFP)
US Ambassador in Morocco David T. Fischer (left) and David Schenker, the top US diplomat for the region, take a selfie wearing a Sahrawi traditional dress in Dakhla, Western Sahara, on January 10, 2021. (AFP)
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US Starts Process of Establishing Consulate in Western Sahara

US Ambassador in Morocco David T. Fischer (left) and David Schenker, the top US diplomat for the region, take a selfie wearing a Sahrawi traditional dress in Dakhla, Western Sahara, on January 10, 2021. (AFP)
US Ambassador in Morocco David T. Fischer (left) and David Schenker, the top US diplomat for the region, take a selfie wearing a Sahrawi traditional dress in Dakhla, Western Sahara, on January 10, 2021. (AFP)

The United States on Sunday started the "process of establishing" a consulate in contested Western Sahara, after Washington recognized Morocco's sovereignty there in exchange for Rabat normalizing ties with Israel.

US ambassador David Fischer visited the port of Dakhla, 1,440 kilometers (895 miles) southwest of Rabat in the far south of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, to mark the start of work on a diplomatic office.

"It is such an honor for me to visit this stunningly beautiful and critically important region of Morocco, and to begin the process of establishing a US diplomatic presence here," Fischer said, according to the US embassy.

Western Sahara is a disputed and divided former Spanish colony, mostly under Morocco's control, where tensions with the pro-independence Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s.

Last year, Morocco joined the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in agreeing to normalize ties with Israel under US-brokered deals.

In return, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a decades-old Moroccan goal by backing its contested sovereignty over the barren but phosphate-rich region, which lies next to key Atlantic fishing zones.

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Sunday that "Morocco feels stronger in its legitimate fight for its territorial integrity... with the support of its friends."

UN peacekeepers in Western Sahara are mandated to organize a referendum on self-determination for the region, and despite Washington's move, the UN insists its position is "unchanged".

Fischer, who called the visit Sunday "another historic milestone in more than 200 years of friendship" between Morocco and the US, was accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker.

In December, the US State Department opened a "virtual" diplomatic post in Western Sahara, ahead of finding "an appropriate site" to build a consulate.

The building is expected to be ready in the coming months, Fischer added.



US Sanctions on Sudan Over Alleged Chemical Weapons Use Take Effect

AFP file photo showing the destruction caused by the fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State
AFP file photo showing the destruction caused by the fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State
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US Sanctions on Sudan Over Alleged Chemical Weapons Use Take Effect

AFP file photo showing the destruction caused by the fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State
AFP file photo showing the destruction caused by the fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State

Friday marked the start of sweeping US sanctions imposed on Sudan, following accusations that the Sudanese army deployed chemical weapons during its conflict against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The US State Department announced it had obtained credible evidence confirming the Sudanese government’s use of lethal chemical and biological weapons against civilians, an act it described as a flagrant violation of international law.

Under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act, the sanctions immediately suspend nearly all US assistance to Sudan, excluding only emergency humanitarian aid.

The measures include an outright ban on defense-related sales and financing, the denial of access to any US government funding - including loans or credits from the Export-Import Bank - and restrictions on the export of sensitive goods and technologies tied to national security.

While humanitarian aid remains exempt, each case will undergo individual review. The sanctions also carve out exceptions for exports to civilian airlines and US businesses operating in Sudan. Officials indicated the measures would remain in place for at least a year, subject to renewal.

Last month, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce revealed that Washington had concluded Sudanese forces used chemical weapons earlier in 2024 and had formally notified Congress before enacting the penalties.

Sudanese authorities have so far issued no official response, though the Ministry of Information previously rejected the allegations as “baseless political blackmail,” claiming that US interventions “lack moral and legal foundation” and have eroded Washington’s credibility in Sudan.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as “Hemedti.” The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people, according to UN estimates.

In recent weeks, RSF units have subjected the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, to relentless artillery and drone attacks targeting army positions, resulting in heavy civilian casualties. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to Sudan’s leadership to agree to a humanitarian ceasefire to allow aid deliveries to besieged areas.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has warned that the conflict is driving Sudan toward a humanitarian catastrophe. Fighting in Darfur and Kordofan has intensified, with all sides vying to secure territorial gains.

Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for African Affairs, briefed the Council, citing a surge in extrajudicial killings, sexual violence against women, child recruitment, and attacks on humanitarian workers.

She urged the Council to press for an immediate humanitarian truce in El Fasher to protect civilians and facilitate aid, while calling on the UN envoy to Sudan to use diplomatic leverage to de-escalate the crisis.

Diplomats from the UK, Russia, South Korea, and Greece also sounded alarms over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, noting that Sudan now faces the largest displacement crisis in Africa’s recent history.

Sudan’s UN representative defended government efforts to secure humanitarian corridors and support voluntary returns, stating that 350,000 families have already gone back to their homes in ten states.