London Court Rejects ‘Polisario’ Petition Against Morocco.
The London Court of Appeal irrevocably dismissed, on Thursday, May 25, 2023, the appeal by the pro-separatist NGO “WSC” against a previous decision by the Administrative Court, rejecting its application to reconsider the Association Agreement between Morocco and the United Kingdom. The court said its decision is final.
Morocco says this third setback since last December for enemies who want to subtract from her territorial integrity confirms the validity of the association agreement linking the two countries, which benefits the populations and development of all the Kingdom’s regions, from north to south.
According to several Moroccan and British analysts, the court’s decision also highlights the repeated failures of the real instigator of the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara, who, despite his malicious intentions, is failing in his attempts to persuade the British judiciary to re-examine the post-Brexit trade agreement concluded and supported by the two Kingdoms.
The decision of the British High Court has the merit of bolstering the Morocco-UK Association Agreement, given that the British judge confirmed last December, that the Agreements between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom are perfectly in line with international law.
The ruling simply confirms the truth and strengthens Morocco in its right. This judgment enshrines the legitimacy of the Kingdom’s action in its southern provinces and the conformity of its exploitation of natural resources with international law.
Morocco is satisfied that the Tribunal has acknowledged that the “Polisario” has absolutely no opinion to give with regard to the economic development of the southern provinces. Trade relations between Morocco and the United Kingdom concern only these two parties. By this judgment, the “Polisario” is reduced to its real dimension. It cannot claim to represent the population of the Sahara.
Indeed, trade between the two countries has grown steadily since the agreement was signed, with bilateral flows peaking at £2.9 billion in Q3 2022, up £1 billion in the same period last year.
The Association Agreement between Morocco and the United Kingdom, signed in London on October 26, 2019, has been in force since January 1, 2021.
It restores, in the context of bilateral relations, all the effects that the two countries granted each other, within the framework of the Morocco-EU Association Agreement. It thus ensures the continuity of trade between Morocco and the UK after December 31, 2020.
Enabling the two Kingdoms to establish a structured partnership on a long-term basis, with operational and institutionalized cooperation instruments, and driven by a shared ambition, the Agreement constitutes a guarantee for Moroccan and British companies undertaking economic and commercial relations in all sectors of cooperation.