Morocco – CounterVortex https://countervortex.org Resisting Humanity's Downward Spiral Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:05:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://countervortex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/newsflash_logo-1-300x300.png Morocco – CounterVortex https://countervortex.org 32 32 Africa pushes back against Russian military recruitment https://countervortex.org/blog/africa-pushes-back-against-russian-military-recruitment/ https://countervortex.org/blog/africa-pushes-back-against-russian-military-recruitment/#respond Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:05:46 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=25091 Global South—especially Africa—to help fill its ranks. Fast-track visas, the promise of good salaries as well as citizenship are the lures, in contrast to growing official immigration hostility in the rest of Europe. But the problem is surviving the front line. In a report released this week, the investigative collective INPACT obtained a single list of 1,417 Africans hired by Russia and found a death rate of over 20%. Those killed lasted an average of just six months. There are also reports of racism and brutality. While many young men volunteer, others are duped, promised work or scholarships, but then forcibly enlisted. Kenya and South Africa are two countries that have complained. Nairobi wants a ban on the conscription of Kenyans, while South Africa said Moscow had agreed to the return of 17 mentricked into serving in Ukraine. (Image: INPACT)]]> Facing a manpower shortage in its war with Ukraine, Russia is increasingly turning to recruitment networks in the Global South—especially Africa—to help fill its ranks. Fast-track visas, the promise of good salaries as well as citizenship are the lures, in contrast to growing official immigration hostility in the rest of Europe. But the problem is surviving the front line. In a report released this week, the investigative collective INPACT obtained a single list of 1,417 Africans hired by Russia (Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana provided the most recruits) and found a death rate of over 20%. Those killed lasted an average of just six months. There are also reports of racism and brutality. While many young men volunteer, others are duped, promised work or scholarships, but then forcibly enlisted. Kenya and South Africa are two countries that have complained. Nairobi wants a ban on the conscription of Kenyans, while South Africa said Moscow had agreed to the return of 17 men tricked into serving in Ukraine.

From The New Humanitarian, Feb. 13

Image: INPACT

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/africa-pushes-back-against-russian-military-recruitment/feed/ 0 Somaliland and Western Sahara: forbidden symmetry https://countervortex.org/blog/somaliland-and-western-sahara-forbidden-symmetry/ https://countervortex.org/blog/somaliland-and-western-sahara-forbidden-symmetry/#respond Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:24:26 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=25000 recognize the de facto independent Republic of Somaliland, in exchange for a commitment from Somaliland to join the Abraham Accordsand recognize Israel. However, not three years ago, Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara—a betrayal of the occupied Sahrawi Arab people who seek an independent state. And of course both these deals constitute a betrayal of the Palestinians. Somaliland and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic should be natural allies, and instead they are being pitted against each other in the Great Power game. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. In Episode 311 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg breaks it down. (Photo: Horn Diplomat via Wikipedia)]]> Israel has become the first country on Earth to recognize the de facto independent Republic of Somaliland, in exchange for a commitment from Somaliland to join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel. However, not three years ago, Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara—a betrayal of the occupied Sahrawi Arab people who seek an independent state. And of course both these deals constitute a betrayal of the Palestinians. Somaliland and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic should be natural allies, and instead they are being pitted against each other in the Great Power game. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. In Episode 311 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg breaks it down.

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Photo: Horn Diplomat via Wikipedia

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/somaliland-and-western-sahara-forbidden-symmetry/feed/ 0 ‘Gen Z’ uprisings in Morocco, Madagascar https://countervortex.org/blog/gen-z-uprisings-in-morocco-madagascar/ https://countervortex.org/blog/gen-z-uprisings-in-morocco-madagascar/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2025 17:18:07 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=24760 announced the dissolution of the government in response to youth protests over power and water shortages. The UN criticized Malagasy authorities' response to the demonstrations, reporting at least 22 people killed and hundreds injured. The Madagascar demonstrations were also organized under the banner of "Gen Z." (Photo via Mika R/Twitter. Madagascar protesters use appropriated image from One Piece manga series.)]]> Youth-led protests demanding better education and healthcare in Morocco escalated into violent clashes with security forces on Sept. 30, the fourth consecutive day of angry demonstrations across several cities. The protests were organized online by a loose network calling itself “GenZ 212,” after Morocco’s country code. In the southern cities of Tiznit, Inzegane and Ait Amira, as well as the eastern city of Oujda and Temara near the capital Rabat, hundreds of protesters hurled stones at security forces attempting to disperse the gatherings. On Oct. 2, at least two protesters were killed when police opened fire in Lqliaa, near the coastal city of Agadir. Authorities said the troops fired to prevent protesters from storming a police station. (Reuters, BBC News, NYT, PRI)

Also Sept. 30, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina announced the dissolution of the government led by Prime Minister Christian Ntsay, in response to widespread youth-led protests over power and water shortages.

The UN criticized Malagasy authorities’ response to the demonstrations, reporting that at least 22 people have been killed and hundreds injured. The victims included protesters and bystanders killed by the security forces, as well as some killed in violence by gangs exploiting the chaos. The Madagascar demonstrations were also organized under the banner of “Gen Z.”

This is not the first time that President Rajoelina has experienced popular unrest; as the incumbent candidate in October 2023, he was injured during protests over the presidential election. Nevertheless, these recent demonstrations have been described as the most serious challenge he has experienced since his re-election in the 2023 polls. (Jurist, PRI)

Note: Spikes in the price of food and fuel since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 have contributed to popular privation and unrest worldwide.

Photo via Mika R/Twitter. Madagascar protesters use appropriated image from One Piece manga series.

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/gen-z-uprisings-in-morocco-madagascar/feed/ 5 Moroccan feminist arrested for ‘blasphemy’ https://countervortex.org/blog/moroccan-feminist-arrested-for-blasphemy/ https://countervortex.org/blog/moroccan-feminist-arrested-for-blasphemy/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:31:37 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=24655 Twitter)]]> Prominent Moroccan feminist Ibtissam “Betty” Lachgar was arrested by the kingdom’s Judicial Police Aug. 10 after posting a photo of herself on X (Twitter) wearing a t-shirt with the word for God in Arabic (Allah) followed by the English words: “is a lesbian.” This reference to the international feminist catchphrase “God is a lesbian” won her “blasphemy” charges from the Rabat prosecutor’s office. The charge carries penalties ranging from six months to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 200,000 dirhams (approximately $20,000). The penalty can be increased to five years if the offense is committed publicly or electronically.

The post was immediately met with torrent of angry responses, with one writing that she “belongs in jail.” But Lachgar doubled down on her statement with a follow-up comment reading in French: “Islam, like any religious ideology, is fascist, phallocratic and misogynistic.”

A clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Lachgar is a founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI), which advocates for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and secularism. (Morocco World News, Middle East Online, The New Arab)

Photo via Twitter

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/moroccan-feminist-arrested-for-blasphemy/feed/ 1 Podcast: from Palestine to Western Sahara https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-palestine-to-western-sahara/ https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-palestine-to-western-sahara/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2024 17:58:53 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=23507 gaffe on French TV, displaying a map of the "Arab World" that showed the occupied (and illegally annexed) Western Sahara as a separate entity from Morocco, sparked a quick and obsequious apology from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. But the snafu sheds light on the mutual hypocrisy at work here. There is an obvious hypocrisy to Moroccan protests that demand self-determination for the Palestinians but not the Sahrawi, the indigenous Arab inhabitants of Western Sahara. The hypocrisy of Israel is also obvious: Israeli commentators and hasbara agents are the first to play the "whataboutery" game—relativizing the plight of the Palestinians by pointing to that of Kurds, Berbers, Nubians, Massalit and other stateless peoples oppressed under Arab regimes. But, as we now see, they are just as quick to completely betray them when those regimes recognize Israel and betray the Palestinians. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. Bill Weinberg breaks it down in Episode 229 of the CounterVortex podcast. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon. (Photo: Kirby Gookin/Western Sahara Resource Center)]]> Benjamin Netanyahu’s gaffe on French TV, displaying a map of the “Arab World” that showed the occupied (and illegally annexed) Western Sahara as a separate entity from Morocco, sparked a quick and obsequious apology from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. But the snafu sheds light on the mutual hypocrisy at work here. There is an obvious hypocrisy to Moroccan protests that demand self-determination for the Palestinians but not the Sahrawi, the indigenous Arab inhabitants of Western Sahara. The hypocrisy of Israel is also obvious: Israeli commentators and hasbara agents are the first to play the “whataboutery” game—relativizing the plight of the Palestinians by pointing to that of Kurds, Berbers, Nubians, Massalit and other stateless peoples oppressed under Arab regimes. But, as we now see, they are just as quick to completely betray them when those regimes recognize Israel and betray the Palestinians. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. Bill Weinberg breaks it down in Episode 229 of the CounterVortex podcast.

Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

Production by Chris Rywalt

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Photo: Kirby Gookin/Western Sahara Resource Center

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-palestine-to-western-sahara/feed/ 0 Netanyahu’s new map flap: multiple ironies https://countervortex.org/blog/netanyahus-new-map-flap-multiple-ironies/ https://countervortex.org/blog/netanyahus-new-map-flap-multiple-ironies/#respond Tue, 04 Jun 2024 18:05:13 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=23504 interview with a French TV channel, showing what he called "the Arab world" in green, a swath of near-contiguous territory from Iraq to Mauritania—contrasting small, isolated Israel, "the one and only Jewish state." The goof was especially dire because in 2020 Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, in exchange for Moroccan recognition of the Jewish state under the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords. This was a cozy mutual betrayal of both the Palestinians and Sahrawi Arabs, the indigenous inhabitants of occupied Western Sahara. (Image: Twitter via Middle East Eye)]]> Well, this is ironic multiple ways. Israel was forced to apologize to Morocco after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seen in a video displaying a map of the Middle East and North Africa—that failed to show the occupied (and illegally annexed) territory of Western Sahara as within the kingdom’s borders. Netanyahu brandished the map in a May 30 interview with a French TV channel, showing what he called “the Arab world” in green, a swath of near-contiguous territory from Iraq to Mauritania—contrasting small, isolated Israel, “the one and only Jewish state.” The point, as usual, being Israel’s supposed vulnerability and (by implication, at least) delegitimization of Palestinian claims—as if all Arabs were an undifferentiated mass and 7 million Palestinians could decamp for Jordan or Egypt and be content. (The operative word in Israeli political rhetoric being “transfer.”)

But the map, in an embarassing poitical faux pas, showed Western Sahara as a separate entity from Morocco—which began occupying the territory after Spain pulled out of the former “Spanish Sahara” in 1975, and has declared it unilaterally annexed. As in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the indigenous Arab inhabitants of the territory were not consulted and have waged a multi-generational resistance. In Western Sahara, these are the Sahrawi Arabs, who are ethnically and inguistically distinct from the dominant Arab people of Morocco who speak the Darija dialect.

The goof was especially dire because in 2020 Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, in exchange for Moroccan recognition of the Jewish state under the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords—a nice, cozy mutual betrayal of both the Palestinians and Sahrawi Arabs.

Following the requisite howls of protest from Rabat, the Israeli Foreign Ministry quickly tweeted an apology, in Arabic, the shamelessly obsequious full text of which was only quoted in full by (of course) the very pro-government Morocco World News: “Due to an unintended error, a huge media sensation was created regarding a map used by Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Morocco appears cut off from its Sahara. [We] offer clarification to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God grant him victory, and to his esteemed people and government… Morocco is in its Sahara until God inherits the Earth and everything on it. We…apologize for this technical error. Israel and Morocco are brothers and sisters, and we will not back down from our historical recognition of the Moroccanity of the Sahara.”

One tweeter noted how this affair has further enflamed anti-Israel sentiment in Morocco, already of course escalated due to the Gaza bombardment: “After daily protests against Israeli massacres in Gaza, popular pressure grows for #Morocco to break diplomatic ties with #Israel after PM Netanyahu brandished a map of the kingdom without the Western Sahara during tv interview that was aired last night on French media.” (More coverage at MEE, TNA)

Of course there is an obvious hypocrisy to Moroccan protests that demand self-determination for the Palestinians but not the Sahrawi. The reactionary Moroccan monarchy is at least consistent in now havng betrayed the self-determination of both peoples! We may hope that there are some among the Moroccan protesters who take a consistent progressive position and also support self-determination for Western Sahara.

We can also note that Netanyahu’s little public-relations snafu is unikely to win him any friends among the Sahrawi—because in addition to showing Western Sahara as separate from Morocco (which they would support) his map also showed it as not colored green—meaning not a part of “the Arab world.” This can only be seen as an insult by the self-proclaimed independent government of the territory, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The hypocrisy of Israel is also obvious here. Israeli commentators and hasbara agents are the first to play the “whataboutery” game—relativizing or distracting attention from the plight of the Palestinians by pointing to that of Kurds, Berbers, Nubians, Massalit and other stateless peoples oppressed under Arab regimes. But, as we now see, they are just as quick to completely betray them when those regimes recognize Israel and betray the Palestinians. Around it goes. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system.

The annexationist agendas of both Israel and Morocco mirror each other precisely in these displays of cartographic outrage. Nothing incites more Israeli scandalization than Arab or Palestinian maps that show all of historic Palestine as “Palestine,” failing to recognize any such political entity as Israel. Such controversy even hit Brooklyn, New York, earlier this year when it was revealed that a teacher at Public School 261 in the neighborhood of Boerum Hill had put up a map on a classroom wall from the Qatar Foundation International, purporting to show the “Arab World” but with all of historic Palestine as an undivided territory labelled “Palestine.” There was such a backlash from some Jewish parents at the school and their political enablers that PS 261’s annual march to Brooklyn’s Borough Hall in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday was cancelled this year—a despairingly stupid and cowardly move. (NYT)

Yet not four months earlier, on Sept. 25, 2023, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York while holding up a map labeled “The New Middle East” that showed all of historic Palestine as an undivided territory labelled “Israel,” failing to show any such political entity as Palestine. This of course won requisite protest from Arab leaders, but ony silence from the same political forces fueling outrage over the map displayed at PS 261. Not a lot of consistency here. (MEMO, ToI)

Indeed, a study commissioned by the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land in 2013 found that the vast majority of maps in Israeli and Palestinian school textbooks omit the existence of the other entity, leading to children growing up with “an internal representation of their homeland, in which one does not include the other.” (The Guardian) This mutual geography denial is not exactly a recipe for peace—even if we ultimately support a single democratic state in historic Palestine.

Unfortunately, even after his hubristic move at the United Nations (and genocidal assault on Gaza), Netanyahu has just been invited by US lawmakers to address a joint session of Congress. Shame on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for joining with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in extending this invitation. The good news is that many Democrats are breaking ranks. Bernie Sanders tweeted: “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. He should not be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress. I certainly will not attend.” And even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dissented from the invitation.

Netanyahu’s upcoming gig on Capitol Hill will mark the fourth time he has addressed a joint session of Congress, making him the first foreign leader to reach this dubious watermark. Nearly 60 Democrats boycotted Netanyahu’s last address in 2015, orchestrated by Republicans over the head of then-president Barack Obama as a stratagem against his Iran nuclear deal. (Politico)

Image: Twitter via Middle East Eye

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/netanyahus-new-map-flap-multiple-ironies/feed/ 0 World peasant movements mobilize for UNDROP https://countervortex.org/blog/world-peasant-movements-mobilize-for-undrop/ https://countervortex.org/blog/world-peasant-movements-mobilize-for-undrop/#respond Sat, 11 May 2024 17:56:03 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=23456 Vía Campesina, launched an international campaign for full approval of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants & Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), and for implementation of policies in line with its principles. Several events were held around the world marking the International Day of Peasant Struggle. El Salvador was one of the first countries to commit to ratifying UNDROP after it was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018. However, Vía Campesina affiliates in the Central American nation accused the government of pursuing policies contrary to its spirit, noting that in the years since then, there has been a reduction in cultivated areas of maize and beans, with a loss of at least 10,000 hectares of maize. (Image: Vía Campesina)]]> The world organization for land-rooted peasant farmers, Vía Campesina, is launching a coordinated international campaign for full approval of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants & Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), and for implementation of policies in line with its principles. Several events were held around the world marking the International Day of Peasant Struggle. El Salvador was one of the first countries to commit to ratifying UNDROP after it was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018. However, Vía Campesina affiliates in the Central American nation accused the government of pursuing policies contrary to its spirit, noting that in the years since then, there has been a reduction in cultivated areas of maize and beans, with a loss of at least 10,000 hectares of maize.

In Morocco, the National Federation of the Agrarian Sector (FNSA) issued a statement protesting government policies of land privatization. FNSA called upon the government to recognize “the crucial role peasants play in ensuring the food supply for our people, unlike export-oriented agriculture, which receives significant attention in official agricultural policy, marginalizing labor, negatively affecting the fertility of our agricultural land, and depleting our water reserves to meet foreign market demands.”

Via Campesina has designated April 17 as the International Day of Peasant Struggle, to commemorate the 1996 massacre in Carajas, Brazil. The incident saw the police killing of 19 members of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), a member organization of the Via Campesina network. (VC, VC, VC, Grassroots International)

Image: Vía Campesina

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/world-peasant-movements-mobilize-for-undrop/feed/ 0 Shock, anger follow North Africa disasters https://countervortex.org/blog/shock-anger-follow-north-africa-disasters/ https://countervortex.org/blog/shock-anger-follow-north-africa-disasters/#comments Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:51:31 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=22896 ranging as high as 12,000—and thousands still unaccounted for. People across Libya have stepped up to help, sending convoys of aid across the politically divided country and opening their homes to strangers. Meanwhile, anger is spreading about why two dams in the port city of Derna—which collapsed under the weight of flooding, leading to the destruction of entire neighborhoods—were allowed to decay. There have also been accusations that authorities ignored warnings about the severity of the storm, contributing to the massive death toll. Similar charges are heard in Morocco after a deadly earthquake struck in mountains south of Marrakesh, with the government accused of bottle-necking relief efforts to the marginal area. (Map: USGS via DirectRelief)]]> The death toll from catastrophic flooding in northeast Libya continues to climb, with reported numbers now ranging as high as 11,300—and thousands still unaccounted for. People across Libya have stepped up to help, sending convoys of aid across the politically divided country and opening their homes to strangers. Meanwhile, anger is spreading about why two dams in the port city of Derna—which collapsed under the weight of flooding, leading to the destruction of entire neighborhoods—were allowed to decay. There have also been accusations that authorities ignored warnings about the severity of the storm, contributing to the massive death toll.

Similar charges are heard in Morocco after a deadly earthquake struck on Sept. 8 near Marrakesh. The 6.8 magnitude quake has killed nearly 3,000 people, mainly in remote villages in rural, mountainous regions that are difficult for first responders to access. Rescue teams from Qatar, the UAE, the UK, and Spain are assisting Moroccan authorities, slowly transporting essential supplies, like food and tents, across difficult terrain and roads blocked by rubble. The Moroccan government has come under criticism for not initially authorizing teams from countries other than these to join the relief effort. The government said its selective invitations are aimed at avoiding a poorly coordinated response. Rebuilding efforts pose a significant challenge to Morocco, which was already grappling with economic difficulties and drought before this disaster.

From The New Humanitarian, Sept. 15.

Map: USGS via DirectRelief

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/shock-anger-follow-north-africa-disasters/feed/ 2 Podcast: from the West Bank to Western Sahara https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-the-west-bank-to-western-sahara/ https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-the-west-bank-to-western-sahara/#comments Sun, 30 Jul 2023 01:43:23 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=22787 Episode 184 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes that Israeli President Isaac Herzog's address to Congress was happily boycotted by members of the "Squad," and comes as even establishment voices are calling for a cut-off of US aid in light of the deep political crisis in Israel. Unhappily, Rep. Pramila Jayapal was forced to issue an apology for having called Israel a "racist state"—which is a mere statement of political reality. In contrast, Ron DeSantis was not forced to issue any such apology for openly embracing Israel's illegal annexationist designs on the West Bank—even as they are protested by UN international law experts. All this comes as Israel has joined the US as the only countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, a condition of the so-called Abraham Accords. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon. (Photo: Kirby Gookin/Western Sahara Resource Center)]]> In Episode 184 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes that Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress was happily boycotted by members of the “Squad,” and comes as even establishment voices are calling for a cut-off of US aid in light of the deep political crisis in Israel. Unhappily, Rep. Pramila Jayapal was forced to issue an apology for having called Israel a “racist state”—which is a mere statement of political reality. In contrast, Ron DeSantis was not forced to issue any such apology for openly embracing Israel’s illegal annexationist designs on the West Bank—even as they are protested by UN international law experts. All this comes as Israel has joined the US as the only countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, a condition of the so-called Abraham Accords. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

Also: Sinead O’Connor’s support for Palestine and confrontation with Itamar Ben Gvir.

Production by Chris Rywalt

We ask listeners to donate just $1 per weekly podcast via Patreon—or $2 for our special offer! We now have 56 subscribers. If you appreciate our work, please become Number 57!

Photo: Kirby Gookin/Western Sahara Resource Center

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-from-the-west-bank-to-western-sahara/feed/ 1 Abraham Accords’ betrayal of Sahrawi consolidated https://countervortex.org/blog/abraham-accords-betrayal-of-sahrawi-consolidated/ https://countervortex.org/blog/abraham-accords-betrayal-of-sahrawi-consolidated/#respond Thu, 20 Jul 2023 17:42:08 +0000 https://countervortex.org/?post_type=blog&p=22764 quid pro quo for Moroccan recognition of Israel as a part of the so-called Abraham Accords. Israeli recognition of Morocco's claim was promised at that time. However, much of the territory is controlled by the Polisario Front, independence movement of the Sahrawi Arab people. Some 45 countries around the world recognize Polisario's declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the US and Israel are alone in recognizing Rabat's rule over the territory. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)]]> Israel announced July 17 that it has formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The US in 2021 became the first nation to recognize Morocco’s claim to the territory—an open quid pro quo for Moroccan recognition of Israel as a part of the so-called Abraham Accords. Israeli recognition of Morocco’s claim was promised at that time. However, much of the territory is controlled by the Polisario Front, independence movement of the Sahrawi Arab people. Some 45 countries around the world recognize Polisario’s declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the US and Israel are alone in recognizing Rabat’s rule over the territory.

Nonetheless, Israeli reconition is but the most recent in a string of Moroccan diplomatic gains. Some 28 coutries have opened consulates in the Western Saharan cities of Dakhla or Laayoune, as Israel now says it will, in what Morocco boasts as tangible support for its rule of the territory. In March 2022, Spain officially expressed its support for Morocco’s “autonomy plan” for the territory, which is rejected by the SADR. (Al Jazeera, ToI, Al Monitor, France24, MWN, ISS)

On the other hand, last September, the African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights delivered a judgment concluding that Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara is a violation of the right to self-determination and independence. The case was brought on behalf of the SADR in response to Morocco’s ascension to the African Union in 2017. (WSRW)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

]]> https://countervortex.org/blog/abraham-accords-betrayal-of-sahrawi-consolidated/feed/ 0