Morocco Strengthens Ties with Anglophone Africa in Moroccan Sahara Dispute

Sunday 15 June 2025 - 10:33

By: Zahouani Ilham

Morocco Strengthens Ties with Anglophone Africa in Moroccan Sahara Dispute

Morocco is consolidating its diplomatic influence across Anglophone Africa by winning over countries that previously backed the Polisario Front, the separatist movement claiming the Moroccan Sahara. In light of evolving geopolitical realities, several of these nations have aligned themselves with the growing international support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the region.

Ghana is the latest state to pivot its position, suspending relations with the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), the political arm of the Polisario. It has also officially endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan as a credible and realistic solution to this long-standing territorial conflict.

This shift marks another diplomatic success for Morocco in its campaign to assert its claim over the Moroccan Sahara. Ghana had long supported the Polisario, alongside other English-speaking African countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa. However, a growing number of these nations are now recognizing Rabat’s autonomy proposal as the only viable path to resolving the dispute, which has destabilized the region for nearly five decades.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called the Moroccan autonomy initiative the “only realistic and lasting” solution. This statement reflects a broader trend, as several influential global powers—including permanent members of the UN Security Council—have also lent their support to Morocco’s position.

Kenya had previously made a similar reversal, stepping away from its pro-Polisario stance, which had been influenced by years of Algerian lobbying and ideological inertia. Algeria, the principal supporter of the Polisario movement, has seen its regional strategy falter as Morocco continues to score diplomatic wins. In addition to setbacks on the Sahara issue, Algeria has faced broader diplomatic challenges on the global stage.

Other Anglophone African nations such as Liberia, Zambia, Eswatini, and Malawi have also expressed their support for Morocco, both by opening consulates in its southern provinces and by backing the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty.

In mid-April, controversy erupted after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the SADR without the consensus of its member states. This move was met with strong opposition. Zambia officially informed Morocco's embassy in Lusaka of its unwavering support for the Moroccan autonomy plan, deeming the SADC memorandum non-binding and irrelevant to its stance.

Malawi echoed Zambia’s response, reaffirming its steadfast support for Morocco’s proposal and describing it as a “practical solution” to the dispute.

These decisive actions reflect a wider disengagement from outdated policies that had long seen many African states support the Polisario. The wave of support for Morocco’s position may soon prompt the African Union to reconsider the Polisario’s membership within the organization.

Currently, over 113 countries support Morocco’s sovereignty claims over the Sahara. At least 28 states have withdrawn or frozen their recognition of the SADR, further underscoring the diplomatic momentum shifting in Morocco’s favor