Kenya Aligns with Morocco on Western Sahara, Marking Diplomatic Shift
Kenya has announced its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, signaling a significant shift in its foreign policy and adding weight to Rabat’s claim over the disputed territory.
The decision, formalised during bilateral talks in Rabat, marks a departure from Nairobi’s previous alignment with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), the self-declared government of Western Sahara.
The move is expected to deepen economic and diplomatic ties between Kenya and Morocco, with both countries pledging expanded cooperation in renewable energy, tourism, and counter-terrorism.
Western Sahara, a mineral-rich territory on the northwest coast of Africa, has been at the center of a long-standing conflict since 1975, when Spain withdrew as the colonial power.
Morocco quickly annexed the area, triggering armed resistance from the Polisario Front, a liberation movement formed by the Sahrawi people.
The two sides fought a 16-year war that ended in a United Nations-brokered ceasefire in 1991.
A key component of the agreement—a referendum on independence—has yet to take place.
While Morocco controls most of the territory and has proposed autonomy under its sovereignty, the Polisario Front insists on full independence.
The SADR, proclaimed in 1976, is recognised by dozens of countries and holds membership in the African Union.
However, its claim to statehood remains disputed, and most of the world maintains a cautious stance.
Kenya’s shift reflects a broader trend among nations reassessing their stance on the Western Sahara issue, often driven by geopolitical and economic considerations.
For years, many governments have avoided openly backing the Sahrawi cause, wary of jeopardising relations with Morocco—a strategically located partner with growing influence in Africa and the Arab world.
The risk of diplomatic fallout has constrained support for Sahrawi independence, despite widespread international backing for the principle of self-determination.
Nations that have recognised or supported the SADR have, at times, found themselves in tense standoffs with Rabat, including within multilateral forums like the African Union.
By endorsing Morocco’s autonomy initiative, Kenya joins a bloc of countries—spanning Europe, the Gulf, and now increasingly Africa—that favour a negotiated solution anchored in Moroccan sovereignty.
The endorsement has drawn criticism from Sahrawi activists and human rights organisations, who view the autonomy plan as a denial of the Sahrawi people’s right to determine their own future.
qDespite ceasefire agreements and periodic peace talks, the conflict remains unresolved, and sporadic clashes continue along the heavily fortified separation barrier Morocco has erected across the desert.
Inside the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria and the sliver of territory controlled by the Polisario, frustration is mounting.
Generations of Sahrawis have grown up in exile, and the long-promised referendum appears increasingly remote.
Kenya’s recalibration may reshape alliances within the African Union, where member states remain split on the issue.
While some support Morocco’s territorial claim, others remain firm in backing the SADR’s demand for full sovereignty.
The diplomatic implications are likely to ripple across the continent.
With Morocco’s expanding economic outreach into sub-Saharan Africa, countries are weighing their positions not just in terms of ideology or international law, but also in light of trade, investment, and regional stability.
gandae@businessdayafrica.org