Morocco Recalls Ambassador in Berlin Over Western Sahara Affair

In a statement on Thursday, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry stated, “Germany has distanced itself from the spirit of constructive solution with a destructive attitude on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.”

It also accused Germany of engaging in “antagonistic activism” after the United States in December officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory—also claimed as an independent state by the Algeria-recognized Polisario Front movement.

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As part of a deal that involved restoring diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel, Washington’s decision led Germany to call a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the issue.

Morocco instructed all governmental departments and bodies in March to abstain from any cooperation and communication with the German embassy or German political entities.

Morocco also claimed Germany had released sensitive information provided by Moroccan security forces to “an individual formerly convicted of acts of terror." However, it did not name the individual or elaborate on the statement.

The ministry similarly asserted that Germany exhibited a “continued determination to counter Morocco’s regional influence, particularly on the Libyan issue,” after Morocco was sidelined in significant Libya peace talks held in Berlin this January.

Morocco has hosted negotiations between members of rival parliament groups over the past year, playing a role in Libyan diplomatic talks.

The Polisario Front fought for sovereignty and independence for Western Sahara after Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975. Now, UN peacekeepers monitor a 30-year-old ceasefire between the Moroccan Army and Polisario fighters.