Senegal Backs Morocco, Opens Consulate in Western Sahara

Senegal will on Monday, March 5, open its consulate in Western Sahara, joining some Arab nations and other African countries in a show of support for Morocco against Algeria.

The consulate which will be the 22nd in Western Sahara, will be opened by the Foreign Ministers of Morocco and Senegal.

Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front Movement have been at loggerheads over the authority of the territory, with the PSM seeking the independence of the Sahrawi Republic also known as Western Sahara.

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Morocco labels the territory as its Southern Province, a decision Algeria has strongly criticised with Polisario cancelling its decades of ceasefire with Morocco and declaring war.

Algeria and Polisario have sought for a referendum, asking for independence from Morocco but the latter has said it can only grant autonomy to Western Sahara, at best.

Donald Trump in 2020 announced and backed the continuous control of Morocco over the territory and promised to site a consulate in Dakhla, where Senegal has also cited theirs.

While Trump has since been voted out as the President of the United States, Joe Biden, his successor, is yet to take a decision on his commitments in Western Sahara.

Author

  • Olayide Oluwafunmilayo Soaga is a Nigerian journalist with four years of professional experience. She reports on health, gender, education and development, with a focus on impact-driven storytelling.

    She was runner-up for the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Best Solutions Journalism Award in West Africa in 2024 and a finalist for the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

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