Transferring control of airspace from the Sahara to Morocco angers Polisario

The Polisario Front condemns the Spanish government's plan to transfer control of Sahara airspace to Morocco. The Front's representative to the Iberian neighbor said, on Thursday, February 29, from the Canary Islands, in statements to the press, “Spain does not have this space, and therefore it cannot comment on this issue.” Abdullah Arabi renewed his call on Pedro Sanchez to review his support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in Western Sahara, in order to “comply with international law.”

Since the return of the head of the executive authority from Rabat, where he held talks with King Mohammed VI on February 21, Spanish media have covered the issue of transferring control of airspace in the Sahara to Morocco. The Spanish Prime Minister was going to open this file. Iberian diplomatic sources confirmed that “this is the condition demanded by Morocco in exchange for opening customs in Ceuta and Melilla.” In El Confidential Digital.

For its part, OK Diario revealed that the “working group” dedicated to this issue “has held two meetings so far.” Rabat and Madrid formed a “technical committee to study the details related to technical and security cooperation in the field of airspace management” in the region.

Point 7 of Joint declaration The Moroccan-Spanish document dated April 7, 2022 announces that “discussions regarding airspace management” will be “initiated” between the two countries.