Moroccan autonomy “only viable solution” to the Sahara conflict: Mexican scholar

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Rabat- The Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara remains the "only solution" to the dispute that has lasted too long, said Thursday in Rabat the Mexican political scientist, Román López Villicaña, in a statement during the presentation of his book El Problema del Sahara, una perspective geopolítica (The problem of the Sahara: a geopolitical perspective), recently published in Mexico.

On this occasion, the Mexican university stressed the "adequacy of the plan of autonomy for the southern provinces" within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty to achieve a final settlement to the Sahara issue, according to MAP news  agency.

During the presentation of his work at the Institute of Hispanic Lusophone Studies ( LEHL ), Mr.  Román López Villicaña emphasized that his book "aims to provide the Spanish-speaking reader in general and  the Mexican in particular, with an academic and objective vision on the Sahara issue, due to the absence bibliography on the topic in the Latin America region."

In his book, López Villicaña stressed that Morocco’s defense of the Moroccan is based on undeniable historical facts, which show the solid old ties that existed between the Sahrawi tribes and the Alawite kings and sultans, notably through the pact the Beia (allegiance).

Román López Villicaña, who served as chief of the division of international relations and political science at the University of the Americas in Puebla, had conducted a several-months visit to the Sahara in search of documents and information, something that helped him carry out his research.

The Moroccan autonomy plan got a new boost last week when the White House said it was a "serious, realistic and credible”solution to the conflict.

“The United States has made clear that Morocco’s autonomy plan is serious, realistic, and credible, and that it represents a potential approach that could satisfy the aspirations of the people in the Western Sahara to run their own affairs in peace and dignity,” said the White House last Friday right before the meeting between President Barack Obama and King Mohammed VI in Washington.

Following the meeting between the two heads of state, President Obama pledged to continue supporting the efforts made by the United Nations to find a mutually-agreed solution to the conflict.