Ecuador’s withdrawal of its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic “SADR” is a new diplomatic victory for Morocco.
The two nations are strengthening their diplomatic cooperation.
Ecuador’s decision to withdraw its recognition of the SADR follows the broader diplomatic dynamic initiated by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, aimed at reaffirming Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
Morocco’s proposal for autonomy is increasingly recognised as the only viable solution to this regional conflict.
Quito’s gesture marks a decisive turning point. On Tuesday, the Ecuadorian government announced the official suspension of its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a self-proclaimed entity backed by Algeria.
This turnaround demonstrates the strength of Moroccan diplomacy, which thus records a new victory on the international stage in the face of the Polisario’s attempts to legitimise it.
Ecuador had recognised the SADR in 1983, even allowing the opening, in 2009, of a so-called embassy of the enclave in Quito.
However, in a telephone conversation with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, the Ecuadorian Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld officially announced the suspension of this recognition. In a formal letter addressed to the so-called Sahrawi representation in Quito, the Ecuadorian authorities informed the separatists of the immediate end to their diplomatic status and the closure of their “embassy.”
This decision is part of the dynamic initiated by King Mohammed VI, whose diplomatic strategy aims to strengthen the Moroccanness of the Western Sahara and to promote the Autonomy Plan proposed by the kingdom as the only viable solution to the regional conflict.
Ecuador, a country with growing influence on the international scene, particularly as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2023-2024, has thus reaffirmed its position in favour of a
diplomatic solution to the dispute.
Ecuador’s withdrawal is all the more significant given that this country also sits on the Special Committee on Decolonisation and the Fourth Committee of the United Nations. Moroccan diplomacy, under royal leadership, thus continues to strengthen its network of allies in strategic forums, gradually reducing the international support
enjoyed by the Polisario.
With this decision, Ecuador opens a new chapter of cooperation with Morocco, marking an important step in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. This gesture is not only a diplomatic success for Rabat, but also a strong signal to the international community regarding the inevitability of a political solution under the aegis of the UN, based on the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
RT/Sf/ac/fss/as/APA