Colombia Denies Recognizing Moroccan Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Instructions have been "given to the new Colombian ambassador in Rabat, to extend the consular jurisdiction of the Colombian Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco over the entire Moroccan territory, including the Sahara," said a joint statement issued last Thursday in Rabat, following talks between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Marta Lucia Ramirez. Based on this statement, some media hastily claimed that Bogota had recognized the Moroccanness of the Sahara.

On Saturday, Colombian diplomacy issued a statement to provide clarification. "Colombia, as stated by the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the joint statement with Morocco, maintains its historical position of support for the various resolutions of the Security Council, recognizing Morocco’s efforts in the search for a political, pragmatic, realistic and lasting solution to this dispute, under the auspices of the UN," it said.

"In this statement, the Vice President and Minister welcomed the appointment of a new UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura," the same source adds. "The extension of consular assistance, in order to ensure better and wider attention to Colombians, which is governed by the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in no way implies effects of recognition of sovereignty," clarifies Colombian diplomacy, specifying that consular assistance is translated into administrative acts carried out by foreign nationals and the mention of the Sahara is included for the purposes of this consular assistance.