C24/Sahara: Senegal Reaffirms Steadfast Support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative
Senegal has once again reiterated its unwavering support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative before the United Nations Committee of 24 (C24), viewing it as a definitive solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
“I would like to reaffirm my country’s consistent support for the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, which the Security Council has described as serious and credible in its successive resolutions since 2007,” said Ambassador Diamane Diome, Senegal’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, during the C24’s regular session taking place from June 9 to 20 in New York.
He highlighted that this initiative, backed by over 118 countries—including three permanent members of the Security Council—is strengthened by Morocco’s substantial progress in human rights. In particular, he praised the role of the regional commissions of Morocco’s National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) in Dakhla and Laâyoune, which the Security Council has commended.
The initiative is further bolstered by Morocco’s significant investments and development projects under the new development model for the Southern Provinces. These efforts aim to foster sustainable development, environmental protection, and the promotion of local culture, while also empowering local populations and improving the region’s Human Development Index, Diome added.
The Senegalese diplomat also welcomed Morocco’s full respect for the ceasefire and its ongoing cooperation with MINURSO, urging other parties to return to the ceasefire as outlined in Security Council Resolution 2756.
He called for stronger cooperation with the UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) to ensure the fundamental rights of populations in the Tindouf camps. This includes their freedoms of expression and association, access to international humanitarian aid, and proper registration in accordance with international humanitarian law, the UNHCR’s mandate, and the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General.
Ambassador Diome also expressed support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara, aimed at revitalizing the political process under exclusive UN auspices. He urged the main stakeholders in the regional dispute to show greater commitment to resuming roundtable talks in order to reach a realistic and lasting political solution.
Finally, the diplomat reaffirmed Senegal’s full support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its Southern Provinces, recalling the opening of a Senegalese Consulate General in Dakhla on April 5, 2021.
