The announcement comes after President Donald Trump announced earlier this month the U.S. would recognize Morocco's long-held claims over the former Spanish territory as part of a normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. "The United States looks forward to this increased engagement and we will continue to support political negotiations to resolve the issues between Morocco and the POLISARIO within the framework of Morocco's autonomy plan," the State Department's Thursday statement said. The Moroccan monarch welcomed this "important historic decision in support of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom". Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) called the agreement "shocking and deeply disappointing.". "Pleased to announce the beginning of the process to establish a U.S. consulate in Western Sahara, and the inauguration of a virtual presence post effective immediately!" Algeria: Western Sahara conflict is a colonialism issue. Morocco controls 80 per cent of the area. READ MORE Morocco, Israel normalise relations after US … "We look forward to promoting economic and social development, and to engage the people of this region.". The department plans on eventually establishing a full consulate in the region, but with President-elect Joe Biden taking over the White House in a matter of weeks, it's unclear how his administration would approach the issue. The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday became the first Arab country to open a diplomatic mission in the Moroccan-controlled area of the disputed Western Sahara. https://www.politico.com/.../24/pompeo-us-consulate-western-sahara-450371 The UN should fill its empty special envoy post, while the U.S. leads international efforts to restart diplomacy. The Trump administration digs its heels into its controversial position on the Moroccan-claimed territory. The inauguration will be attended by senior diplomats, members of local authorities, as well as … DAKHLA, Western Sahara (AP) — Trawlers pack the bustling Western Saharan port of Dakhla, where fish scales glisten from workers’ arms as they roll up their nets and buyers shout bids in a sprawling auction warehouse. 1 min read RABAT (Reuters) - Senegal will open a consulate in Western Sahara on Monday, joining other African and Arab countries in … Senegal will join the ever-growing list of countries with representations in Western Sahara. ", He pointed out that "all regions of the African continent are represented by the Sahara through six countries from the west of the continent, five from its centre, in addition to three countries from the south of the continent and a country from East Africa.". The United States ambassador to Morocco began the process of establishing a consulate in the disputed territory of Western Sahara on Sunday, … Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement comes after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would recognize Morocco's long-held claims over the former Spanish territory. FILE - U.S. and Moroccan flags emblems are seen outside the provisional consulate of the U.S in Dakhla, Morocco-administered Western Sahara, Jan. 10, 2021. RABAT (Reuters) - Senegal will open a consulate in Western Sahara on Monday, joining other African and Arab countries in supporting Morocco’s claim to … READ: Algeria-Morocco competition exposes the closed shop nature of influence within the AU. The opening ceremony of the consulate in Laayoune, the largest city of Western Sahara… Ned Price, a spokesman for the Biden transition team, declined to weigh in on the issue. Clashes have broken out in Western Sahara, ending a 30-year ceasefire between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that Zambia and the Kingdom of Eswatini opened consulates in the Western Sahara, bringing the … An archway in the entrance of Dakhla carries an image of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, in Western Sahara, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. | Patrick Semansky, Pool/AP Photo. The UAE decided to open a consulate in Laayoune, according to a statement announced by the royal court on Tuesday night, which will be the first Arab diplomatic representation in the region. The consulate would be in the Western Sahara’s largest city, Laayoune, and the decision to open it came after a phone call between Moroccan King Mohammed VI and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Royal Palace said. The consulate will be opened by the Moroccan and Senegalese foreign ministers in the Atlantic city of Dakhla, making Senegal the 22nd nation to establish a diplomatic mission in the territory, the sources said. Citing official sources, Moroccan media reported Senegal is set to open a consulate general in Dakhla , the second most populated city in Western Sahara, on Monday. US plans to open a consulate in Western Sahara marks a turning point for the disputed territory. Announcement of New Virtual Presence Post for Western Sahara. Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Comoros, Gabon, Sao Tome and Príncipe, Central African Republic and Burundi all opened missions in the region. Prior to the Israel-Morocco deal, the U.S. policy toward the territory was in line with the European Union, United Nations and African Union in calling for a path for self-determination for the territory. Nearby, turquoise waters lap wide, nearly empty Atlantic beaches and diners sip tea in sidewalk cafes. The U.S. will open a consulate in Western Sahara, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday, further solidifying the United States' recognition of Morocco's claim over the disputed territory. Some 15 African states have also opened consulates in Western Sahara. Rabat also announced this week that the UAE will become the first Arab country to open a diplomatic mission in the Morocco-controlled area. Zambia and Eswatini both opened theirs on Tuesday. Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until the mid-1970s, when Morocco invaded and established de facto control over most of the area lasting until the present day. While the consulate isn’t expected to open for another six to 12 months, Schenker's trip is a way for the U.S. to cement its commitment to Western Sahara … The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that Zambia and the Kingdom of Eswatini opened consulates in the Western Sahara, bringing the total number of foreign missions in the region to 15. The USA begins consulate launch in disputed Western Sahara in spite of the United Nations-planned self-determination referendum for the region. Although Mauritania abandoned its claim in 1979, Morocco still occupies about two-thirds of the territory. Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony that extends over an area of 266,000 square kilometres, it witnessed an armed conflict until a ceasefire was declared in 1991 between Morocco, which annexed it in 1975, and the Polisario, which called for its independence, backed by Algeria. The new Congolese consulate joins 18 already established consulates in the Western Sahara. RABAT (Reuters) - Senegal will open a consulate in Western Sahara on Monday, joining other African and Arab countries in supporting Morocco's claim to … The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday became the first Arab country to open a diplomatic mission in the Moroccan-controlled area of the disputed Western Sahara.. RABAT, April 3 (Reuters) - Senegal will open a consulate in Western Sahara on Monday, joining other African and Arab countries in supporting Morocco's claim … Jordan today opened a consulate in the disputed Western Sahara region, according to Moroccan media reports. The Trump administration's recognition of Morocco's claim earlier this month quickly prompted raised eyebrows, from the international community to within his own party. The statement said that King Mohammed VI made a phone call Tuesday to the Crown Prince of the. Morocco has been in a diplomatic stalemate with the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, whose Polisario Front retains control over a sliver of land hugging the Algerian border. Morocco has controlled Western Sahara since … Consistent with President Trump’s proclamation on recognizing the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over the Western Sahara, the State Department announces that it has begun the process to establish a U.S. consulate in the region. Morocco considers that the opening of foreign diplomatic representations in the region "is very important (…) and a legal sign that comes within the framework of the exchange of documents and the Vienna Treaty on consular relations," reported the Moroccan News Agency.