WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department said Thursday that the United States will open a consulate in Western Sahara following 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 begun. That process includes finding and securing suitable premises for a mission before hiring personnel. It wasn’t immediately clear when and 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 Dec. 10 that the US would recognize Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara as part of a deal for the North African country to normalize relations with Israel. The Trump administration has prioritized making such deals between Arab states and Israel and has struck four so far: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
The recognition of Western Sahara marked a turnaround in decades of US policy, and the move has been heavily criticized, not least by those in Western Sahara who have fought for independence and want a referendum on the area’s future. The former Spanish colony, with a population of an estimated 350,000 to 500,000, is believed to have significant offshore oil and mineral resources.
The US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has been criticized by the UN and US allies in Africa and beyond.
African observers have said it could destabilize the wider region as it already fights against Islamic uprisings and migrant trafficking. Former United States Secretary of State James Baker, who served as a UN envoy in Western Sahara, called it “an astonishing retreat from the principles of international law and diplomacy.”