The United Kingdom supports Morocco’s plan for contested territory

The United Kingdom has supported Morocco’s plan for termination of territorial conflict in West Sahara as part of a transaction that will provide lucrative investment projects in the 2030 World Cup in 2030.

For decades, British governments have refused to take parties who should control the Western Sahara, which is considered a “non-savage territory” by the UN.

But the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, David Lami, has announced that the United Kingdom is now supporting a plan that will give autonomy to the Western Sahara, but Morocco the ultimate sovereignty.

On a visit to the Moroccan capital, Rabat Lamie said the proposal for autonomy of Morocco was “the most reliable, viable and pragmatic basis for permanent resolution of the dispute.”

Lami also signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation between the two countries on critical infrastructure projects for the World Cup, which Morocco hosted with Spain and Portugal after five years.

The deal will allow the “British business to bring the biggest stage in football,” Lamie said.

Algeria, which supports the Western Saharan independence movement, said he was “regreted” by Lami’s message.

Algeria said that the Morocco Autonomy Plan is already 18 years old and has never been introduced to Sahrauis as the basis for negotiations.

Western Sahara is a mineral-rich former Spanish colony that has been fighting for five decades in what is one of the longest frozen conflicts in Africa.

Morocco holds a large part of 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km) territory, but the part is controlled by the front of Polisario, an armed group seeking independence for the Sahraui locals.

The African Union recognizes the independence of the Western Sahara, but in recent years different countries have supported the position of Morocco, including the United States, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

British diplomats said the United Kingdom decided to follow the example, but only in exchange for business transactions and a new commitment from Morocco to support the principle of self -determination, publishing a new version of its autonomy plan and restarting the negotiations.

A public procurement agreement between the two countries will “create a unique basis for UK companies to have access to public offers in Morocco,” the United Kingdom said, pointing to deals in the health sector, as well as contracts to renovate Casablanca Airport.

The joint communication re -confirmed the respect of the two parties to “not use the force to settle conflicts and their support for the principle of respect for self -determination.”

Previously, the United Kingdom had always said that the status of Western Sahara was “indefinite” and supported “self -determination” for the people there.

Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Burita welcomed the change in British politics, saying this marked a historic moment in the relations of the 800-year nations of the two countries.

“It is a real rotation to the final resolution of the dispute,” he said.

Lami said the deals signed in Rabat “take advantage of the British Business directly.”

“Thanks to our work, British companies will be in front of the queue to provide contracts for the construction of Moroccan infrastructure, putting money into our construction industry, and ensuring that the British business marks the biggest stage in football,” he said.

After bitter fighting in the 70s and 1980s, the front of Polisario and Morocco agreed with various terminations in the 1990s, but failed to resolve the basic dispute.

The United Nations has deployed peacekeepers in the region since 1991.

However, a long -lasting referendum for no mediation to allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between independence or Moroccan control, they have never taken place.