Spain is not in favor of the unilateral decision of the United States to recognize the Moroccanness of the Sahara. The Iberian neighbor proposes that the newly elected US president reconsider this decision for a return to "multilateralism".
Between the restoration of Israeli-Moroccan relations and the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, Algeria seems stunned by two decisions it considers a threat to its stability. Abdelaziz Djerad, the Algerian Prime Minister, describes these two events as "foreign destabilization maneuvers" that could upset the balance of power in the MENA region.
With the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, Morocco has a head start over Algeria, the main supporter of the Polisario Front. The French magazine Le Point indicates that the kingdom is diplomatically succeeding in scoring points against its neighbor, now under pressure.
The outgoing US President, Donald Trump, signed a decree on Thursday, December 10, 2020, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. Will Joe Biden, who will succeed him on January 20, 2021, call this recognition proclamation into question?
The decision of President Donald Trump to recognize Morocco’s full and complete sovereignty over the entire Sahara is making headlines in the international press. The Spanish newspaper El Pais describes it on Saturday as "the greatest setback for the Polisario" since the ceasefire declared in 1991.
Nasser Bourita , Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, states that relations were "normal" with Israel before US President Donald Trump announced it on Thursday, December 10.
A few days after the announcement of the US recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, the American equipment manufacturer Adient, world leader in the automotive seat segment, will sign, in Casablanca, a memorandum of understanding with the Moroccan government. This is the first in a series of announcements mentioned by the US Ambassador to Morocco, David Fisher.
The normalization of relations with Israel negotiated by the United States presents advantages for Morocco , including the help of the Hebrew state in the construction of its arms industry.
By agreeing to establish relations with Israel, the Kingdom has obtained from Washington the recognition of its sovereignty over Western Sahara. This exchange is simply a "gift" from Trump, said Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, a specialist in Israeli-Moroccan relations at the University of Tel Aviv, to AFP .
The United States is negotiating the sale of at least four sophisticated MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones to Morocco. Donald Trump has transmitted an opinion on this sale to the US Congress, which must now examine it to approve or block it.
During a ceremony organized at the US embassy on Saturday, December 12 in Rabat, the United States unveiled a "new official map" of Morocco integrating the territory of the Sahara.
In the wake of the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, Israelis, especially of Moroccan origin, are expressing their willingness to invest in Morocco.