The president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, has warned about the new scenario opening up in the Western Sahara after the conclusion of the mandate of the United Nations mission (MINURSO) and the possible repercussions that this change may have for Canarias.
In a public note, he has urged the Government of Spain and the European Union to offer a swift response to this situation, underscoring the dangers posed by the disappearance of this international observation instrument in such a sensitive area.
In this context, he has called for the adoption of measures that make it possible to sustain regional stability, support the right of self-determination of the Sahrawi people, and ensure that Canarias has a voice in the decisions that directly affect its security and its strategic interests.
"It is not about causing alarm. It is about not arriving late," Morales stated, recalling that the stability of the Atlantic environment is a capital matter for the economic, social and institutional future of the Archipelago.
He also stressed that what happens in the Sahara cannot be seen as something distant or unrelated to Canarias, due to its impact on maritime areas, air traffic management, port activity and migratory flows.
In this way, he has requested that Spain promote within the United Nations the implementation of a new verification mechanism that gives continuity to the monitoring work carried out by MINURSO and prevents the lack of international supervision from potentially leading to an escalation of the conflict.
Likewise, he has asked the Spanish State to oppose any attempt to remove the Western Sahara from the agenda of the Security Council and of the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly, responsible for decolonization issues.
For the president of the Cabildo, the implications of this new context "are not limited to the future of the Western Sahara", since, he pointed out, they also affect Canarias's position in the Atlantic and its ability to safeguard its own interests, reiterating the need to have legal and political guarantees regarding maritime delimitation, the area around Mount Tropic and the maintenance of air safety management that is currently provided from Gran Canaria.