The definition of the Arab world includes the geographical set, populated mostly by Arabs or Arabised, which extends from Morocco and Mauritania in the far west of the Maghreb, to the Sultanate of Oman in the far east.
It covers the Middle East (Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq), the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar), the countries of the Nile Basin (Egypt and Sudan) and North Africa (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania), as well as three small Afro-Arab countries (Somalia, Djibouti and Comoros). These are the 22 member countries of the League of Arab States. And, with most of them, Colombia has formal diplomatic relations, taking into account its economic importance and its strategic position.
Of these States, particularly the Kingdom of Morocco, a process of rapprochement on an increasing scale with some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, began to develop very strongly in the last fifteen years (although its Embassy was established in Bogotá since 1986), detecting interesting cooperation phenomena at various levels. This rapprochement represents a singular case in the framework of North American-Latin American relations, to the point that the Kingdom of Morocco, through its ambassador in Bogotá and Quito, Her Excellency, Farida Loudaya, is an observer member of the Andean Parliament.
In governmental and parliamentary matters, relations were maintained in a growing spirit of affability until six months ago, when an apocryphal delegation appeared for the inauguration of President Gustavo Petro, which achieved recognition of Colombia’s relations with the so-called Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. supported by the Algerian Republic.
It should be noted that, in a plenary session of the Senate, on October 19, it was approved by 63 parliamentarians of the 108 that make up the Corporation, politicians from parties of the government coalition (Liberal Party, Conservative Party, De La U Party, Alianza Verde, Cambio Radical, Mira, Colombia Justa Libres, Centro Democrático, and La Liga de Gobernadores Anti Corrupción), to reject the decision adopted by the Government to give legitimacy to the so-called Arab Democratic Republic of the Sahrawi, which in reality is not recognized by the vast majority of the countries of the world, much less by the United Nations.
In this body, the conflict has escalated to the Security Council, which through 18 Resolutions issued since 2007, has ruled in favor of preserving the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over the entire territory, whose requests have been described as ” serious, credible and realistic”, both by that UN body and by the international community.
Petro’s government sought to “unearth” a document signed on February 27, 1985 with the so-called Saharawi Republic during the government of Belisario Betancur, (which integrated Colombia into the Non-Aligned Countries), without realizing that the Polisario Front of Liberación, which represents the self-styled Republic, is a guerrilla group, it was not a State and, therefore, the 63 senators consider that the action of the Government and the Colombian Foreign Ministry is an interference in the internal affairs of another country and, furthermore, , a reprehensible action that puts Colombia’s influence in the African and Arab markets at risk.
Already, through his account on the social network twitter, on November 20, 2020, the then senator Gustavo Petro Urrego, expressed: “Although it sounds strange in Colombia, for several decades we have been in solidarity with the Polisario Front and its fight for the independence of his Nation of Morocco. Once upon a time, people from the M19 and the Front walked together through those deserts dreaming of a new world”.
This personal motivation is probably what led your government to recognize the Saharawi Arab Republic, without realizing that we have extensive political, economic, social, touristic, academic and human ties with the Kingdom of Morocco, thanks to the agreements and conventions signed. between Bogota and Rabat. Among them, those of air services and the exemption of visa for holders of ordinary passports stand out.
The decision of the Colombian Foreign Ministry was made without evaluating the current situation, nor measuring the consequences in this regard, deeply affecting the excellent ties of friendship, which have historically linked us with Morocco, a great ally, strategic and privileged partner in Africa and in the world. Arab, given its leadership and recognition at a regional, continental and world level, as well as its thriving port, industrial, cultural and tourist development. For all these reasons, he was the guest of honor at Expo Artesanías a few years ago.
Colombia begins to play on both sides, also echoing the moves of Algeria which, since August 24, 2021, has severed all diplomatic relations with Morocco in response to a spying scandal in the Alawite country, added to the discontent over the normalization of relations with Israel expressed in 2020. Thus, this new “hot border of the 21st century” makes Algerians feel sympathy for the separatists, with the purpose of warming the patience of Mohammed VI, who is celebrating 24 years in the Alawite throne, also serving as religious leader of a large community.
And, under such condition, commander of believers, he has strongly consolidated his recognized vocation as a land of peace and tolerance, where coexistence between religions has been a reality for more than 12 centuries. Likewise, this week he agreed to reconcile himself with Spain, the closest partner and neighbor in Europe.
Let us hope that Colombia does not ignore the Upper House, since the proposal seems to have achieved the “dream of the just”.
Although the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria has expressed its solidarity with Colombia on several occasions in the fight against terrorism and is strategic for diplomacy as it is an African, Mediterranean and Arab country, its support for the so-called Democratic Sahrawi Arab Republic goes against the Agreements are to be kept with the Kingdom of Morocco.