Morocco pushes for full annexation of Western Sahara, avoids Ceuta issue at UN

During the UN General Assembly, Morocco's foreign minister Naser Burita proclaimed that the Western Sahara issue has entered a historic inflection point, invoking Security Council resolution 2797 which endorses Rabat's autonomy proposal as the "most viable" answer. He asserted that the dispute is now on an irreversible path toward a definitive settlement under Moroccan sovereignty, rejecting the Polisario Front's demand for an independence referendum and accusing it of breaching the cease-fire.

Burita emphasized that there is no alternative mechanism outside the UN-led political process and warned against maintaining a status quo favored by other parties. He also pointed to substantial social and economic investments in the southern provinces, including infrastructure, higher education, health care and airports, and announced that inhabitants of these areas will participate in parliamentary elections on Wednesday. While stressing Morocco's commitment to a final solution, he deliberately avoided mentioning the recent incursion into Ceuta, a flashpoint in Morocco's broader “Great Morocco” ambitions that also claim Melilla, the Canary Islands, parts of Mauritania and Mali.