WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department said on Thursday that the United States will open a consulate in Western Sahara after President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the process of opening the facility has already begun. This process involves finding and securing suitable property for a mission before personnel are hired. It was unclear when or where it would open, but until then Pompeo said the U.S. embassy in Rabat would operate a virtual consulate to serve Western Sahara.
Trump announced on December 10 that the U.S. would recognize Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara as part of an agreement for the North African country to normalize relations with Israel. The Trump administration has given priority to obtaining such agreements between the Arab states and Israel and has so far concluded four: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
Recognizing Western Sahara was a decades-old reversal of US policy and the move was heavily criticized, not just by those in Western Sahara who fought for independence and want a referendum on the future of the territory. The former Spanish colony, with an estimated population of 350,000 to 500,000, is believed to have considerable offshore deposits of oil and mineral resources.
The US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has drawn criticism from the UN, as well as from American allies in Africa and beyond.
African observers said it could destabilize the entire region, which is already fighting Islamic insurgencies and trafficking in migrants. Former US Secretary of State James Baker, who served as a UN envoy to Western Sahara, called this “a surprising departure from the principles of international law and diplomacy”.