DAKHLA, Western Sahara (AP) – The trawlers wrap up the lively Dakhla harbor, where there are sparks of fish, glistening in the arms of workers as they wrap their nets and shouts shouts bids at a large auction warehouse. Nearby, turquoise waters are wide, almost empty, Atlantic beaches and meals sip tea in sidewalk cafes.
The United States intends to make its mark in this picturesque setting.
US Ambassador to Morocco David T. Fischer attended a ceremony in Dakhla on Sunday, the first formal step in opening a consulate, marking a turning point for disputed and closely controlled territory in North Africa.
US movement recognizes Morocco’s authority over land – in exchange for Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel.
Fischer was joined by the highest official of the State Department for the region, David Schenker. Both diplomats wore white Moroccan clothes.
“Our trip to Dakhla today is another milestone in more than 200 years of friendship between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States,” the US embassy said on Morocco’s Twitter account.
While this change in U.S. foreign policy frustrates indigenous Sahrawis who have sought Western Sahara independence for decades, others see new opportunities for trade and tourism that will provide a welcome boost to the sun-drenched coastal region and cities such as in Dakhla.
Addressing the meeting, the US ambassador said the opening of a consulate was a plus for the United States, allowing it to “continue to take advantage of Morocco’s strategic position as a hub for trade in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.” Investment and development projects will benefit the region, he added.
A portrait of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, waving behind his sunglasses, hangs from the crenellated arch that greets people arriving in Dakhla. The king’s face is juxtaposed on a map that includes Western Sahara as an integral part of Morocco.
Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975, which sparked a 16-year war and then 30 years of diplomatic and military stalemate between Morocco and the Polisario Front, an organization that seeks the independence of Western Sahara, which is based and supported by Algeria. . The long territorial dispute has limited Western Sahara’s ties to the outside world.
Khatat Yanja, the head of Dakhla’s regional council, is looking forward to the US opening its city to new markets and convincing more tourists to enjoy its beaches, local goods and stunning sunsets. He expressed hope for US investment in tourism, renewable energy, agriculture and, in particular, fishing.
“We appreciate such a gesture,” Yanja said of the future consulate. “It will open a whole new chapter when it comes to investing in this region, by hiring people and creating more resources. It will also open more doors for international trade. “
The main fishing port is the lifeline of the local economy, employing 70% of Dakhla’s workforce. Thousands of boats bring in 500,000 tons of fish annually for exports worth 2.2 billion dirhams ($ 249 million) annually, according to port director Bintaleb Elhassan.
Under herds of horned seagulls, fishermen transport sardines and mackerel to warehouses where the catch is auctioned from well-dressed trays. In nearby processing plants, rows of women, including migrants from Africa, clean and sort the fish.
Morocco is closely politicizing the region. During a recent visit to Dakhla, authorities closely monitored an Associated Press reporter, as are both visitors and residents.
Deputy Secretary of State David Schenker visited Dakhala and the largest city in Western Sahara on Saturday, Laayoune. He and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita are expected to reveal a temporary diplomatic outpost on Sunday.
Although the consulate is not expected to open for another six to 12 months, Schenker’s trip is a way for the US to strengthen its commitment to Western Sahara before President Donald Trump leaves office.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner helped mediate a normalization deal between Morocco and Israel announced last month as part of a series of historic agreements which in turn won major favors from the Arab countries in Washington.
Trump said the goal of the Western Sahara consulate would be to “promote economic and trade opportunities in the region,” which is about the size of Colorado and is believed to have considerable offshore oil and mineral resources.
The representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations, Sidi Omar, called on Saturday for the new administration of the elected president of the USA, Joe Biden, to reverse Trump’s decision.
“The United States cannot support both the UN’s role in resolving the Western Sahara conflict and does not support Moroccan sovereignty,” Omar wrote on Twitter.
The Western Sahara economy is ruled by Morocco, which has built most of the territory’s infrastructure and encouraged Moroccans to settle there. But the United Nations and most world governments do not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the land, limiting Morocco’s ability to export its resources and complicating trade transactions.
For many people in Dakhla, at least for those who are allowed to talk to visiting journalists, local concerns seem to outweigh geopolitical ones. Residents commute to work, sell clementines, shop for jewelry, enjoy local specialties in sidewalk cafes, and stroll with their dogs on quiet beaches.
The US recognition of Western Sahara as Morocco has drawn criticism from the UN and American allies. African observers said they could destabilize the wider region, already fighting Islamist insurgencies and migrant trafficking.
The action particularly angered the Sahrawis, who want a referendum on the future of the territory, and neighboring Algeria, which hosts Sahrawi refugees and supports Polisario. Schenker has also visited Algeria in recent days.
The United States will join a small but growing number of countries with consulates in the territory, the most recent representing the Gambia.
“The Gambia is grateful for Morocco’s support, including Morocco in building the new Foreign Ministry building in The Gambia. Morocco also continues to provide educational grants to students in The Gambia, “Consul General Ousmane Badjie told the PA in his office, where a portrait of the Moroccan king is located.
Sahrawi activists staged protests in several Spanish and French cities over the US movement, but Washington did not directly address its concerns when the State Department officially informed Congress on December 24 about its plans to open a consulate..
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said only that the United States “will continue to support political negotiations to resolve the problems between Morocco and Polisario under Morocco’s autonomy plan.”
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Matthew Lee in Washington and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.