MOROCCO UNWELCOME IN MEXICO OVER WESTERN SAHARA

Last week, left-wing Mexican politicians denounced Morocco as an unwelcome guest over its occupation of Western Sahara.

Rachid Talbi El Alami, speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, visited Mexico on 25 February to welcome a 'new phase' in bilateral diplomatic relations, and mobilise resources to deepen cooperation on climate change, t*rrorism and organised crime.

Mexican congresswoman Margarita García García, chair of the Partido del Trabajo (Labour Party)'s parliamentary body, Mexico-Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Friendship Group, denounced Morocco's violation of the Sahrawi people's human rights. She further called out the Moroccan monarchy’s long-standing disregard for UN resolutions advocating a referendum on Western Sahara territory’s self-determination and advocated for free elections to determine the region’s fate.

The Labour Party requested the session’s suspension, preventing El Alami from speaking for a few minutes while some legislators booed the Moroccan delegation. 

Meanwhile, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, president of the Mexican Senate, reaffirmed Mexico’s support for the SADR government in Western Sahara during the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Forum of Legislative Authorities of Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico on 20 February in Honduras.

The indigenous Sahrawi people put up armed resistance against Spain from 1973 to 1975. Since 1975, they have fought Morocco for occupying the Western Sahara territory once the Spanish left. Despite the continuing occupation, on 27 February, the SADR commemorated the 49th anniversary of declaring independence from Morocco.

Apart from preventing a UN-mandated referendum on whether West Sahara should be independent, autonomous or part of the kingdom, Morocco has engaged in resource theft. So far, Morocco has netted $5 billion per year in phosphate exports, as Western Sahara holds the second-largest reserve of phosphate rock worldwide. Meanwhile, EU vessels have fished Western Sahara waters despite a 2019 agreement with the European Union on fishing and agriculture not obtaining sufficient SADR consent.

Sources

https://www.telesurenglish.net/mexican-lawmakers-reject-visit-of-moroccan-speaker-over-western-sahara-situation

https://apnews.com/article/eu-morocco-fish-agriculture-agreements-sahara-dc36fb518b36ebea2f34d04541428079 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-phosphate-has-helped-morocco-retain-control-over-western-jain 

https://www.spsrasd.info/en/2025/02/27/8243.html

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/02/173380/mexican-observatory-for-moroccan-sahara-makes-historic-launch-in-mexico-city

https://www.sahrawi-emb-au.com/sahrawi-republic-and-mexico-strengthen-historical-ties-in-celebration-of-45-years-of-diplomatic-relations

https://www.spsrasd.info/en/2025/02/22/8068.html

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/10/04/eu-top-court-upholds-cancellation-of-eu-morocco-trade-deals-over-disputed-western-sahara

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/first-morocco-mexico-political-consultations-usher-in-new-phase-in-bilateral-relations-mexican-official/ar-AA1zW0Ve?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

https://www.chambredesrepresentants.ma/en/Talbi250225