RABAT: Israel has decided to “recognise Morocco´s sovereignty” over the disputed Western Sahara region, the royal office in Rabat announced Monday, citing a letter from the Israeli prime minister.
According to the letter, Benjamin Netanyahu informed Morocco’s King Mohammed VI of “the State of Israel´s decision to recognise Morocco´s sovereignty” over the mineral-rich desert region, the royal office said in a statement.
Netanyahu said in the letter that Israel is examining the “opening of a consulate in the town of Dakhla”, located in the Moroccan part of Western Sahara -- a move long demanded by Rabat. Israel confirmed the contents of the statement from Morocco when contacted by AFP.
The Algeria-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a vast stretch of desert which Morocco considers to be an integral part of its own territory.