Members of the Coalition for Sahara Autonomy (AUSACO) have called for the free and dignified return of the Western Sahrawi population held captive in the Tindouf camps, under Algerian supervision, to their country of origin, Morocco.
Participants in the second conference of the Coalition for Sahara Autonomy (AUSACO), meeting Tuesday in Dakhla, called for a rethink of the United Nations’ approach to addressing the dispute over Western Sahara, in light of geopolitical changes and growing international backing for the autonomy plan presented by Morocco.
In a final declaration dubbed the “Dakhla Declaration,” the coalition reaffirmed that the Moroccan autonomy initiative constitutes the only credible and pragmatic basis for achieving a lasting political
solution, emphasising Algeria’s responsibility for the persistence of this regional conflict.
The members of AUSACO, which brings together more than 3,000 figures from the international political, academic, diplomatic, and community sectors, highlighted the kingdom’s ongoing efforts in its southern provinces.
They particularly praised the structuring projects undertaken within the framework of the New
Development Model, as well as the strategic initiatives launched under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, such as the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline megaproject and the Atlantic Initiative.
“All these initiatives aim to position the Moroccan Sahara as a crossroads of stability, co-development, and security on the Atlantic, Sahel, and Mediterranean scales,” said Mr. Ismail Buchanan, who officially read the declaration.
The participants also welcomed the climate of peace and development in the southern provinces, notably illustrated by the opening of 32 foreign consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla, which they consider an irreversible milestone in the process of international recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
While reiterating their commitment to the territorial integrity of the kingdom, the AUSACO members – from Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America – invited countries that have not yet done so to align
themselves with the 116 states officially supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan.
In a passage particularly critical of Algiers, the declaration calls on the country to assume its historical responsibilities, cease obstructing the UN process, and respect international humanitarian law by putting an end to the lawless situation in the Tindouf camps.
Coalition members also called for the free and dignified return of the Western Sahrawi populations held captive in these camps, under Algerian supervision, to their country of origin, Morocco.
The conference brought together elected officials from Morocco’s southern provinces, representatives of Sahrawi tribes, and numerous civil society actors, in an international mobilisation that seeks to promote the path of realism and compromise.
MK/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA