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. This process involves finding and securing suitable property for a mission before hiring staff. It was not immediately clear when or where it would be open, but until then Pompeo said the U.S. embassy in Rabat would operate a virtual consulate to serve Western Sahara.
Trump announced on December 10 that the U.S. would recognize Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara as part of an agreement for the North African country to normalize relations with Israel. The Trump administration has prioritized reaching such agreements between the Arab states and Israel and has so far concluded four: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
The recognition of Western Sahara was a reversal of decades of U.S. policy and the decision has been widely criticized, especially by those who have fought for independence and want a referendum on the future of the territory. It is believed that the former Spanish colony, with an estimated population of between 350,000 and 500,000, has considerable oil fields and mineral resources.
The US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has provoked criticism from the United Nations and US allies in Africa and beyond.
African observers have said it could destabilize the wider region, already fighting Islamist insurgencies and migrant trafficking. Former United States Secretary of State James Baker, who was sent by the UN to Western Sahara, has called it “a surprising withdrawal from the principles of international law and diplomacy.”