Colombia has decided this Monday to withdraw recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (RASD), thus reversing one of the foreign policy decisions made during the term of former president Gustavo Petro. From now on, the Government of Abelardo de la Espriella will not maintain "political" or "diplomatic" ties with this entity.
"Colombia recognizes the sovereignty of Morocco over all its territory, including Western Sahara, and in that context, the position of the Government of Colombia will be to freeze relations with the RASD as of this date," the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement.
According to the Foreign Ministry, this new line means that there will be no "political or diplomatic contacts, exchange of missions, or support for the RASD in multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the Security Council, where Colombia currently serves as a non-permanent member."
The Executive led by De la Espriella has adopted this stance "after a sovereign review" of the strategy followed by Petro, who in 2022 had fully restored ties between Colombia and the Sahrawi Republic. The current Government also emphasizes that "the United Nations does not recognize it as a member state."
In the same statement, Bogotá asserts that "this reorientation confirms Colombia's willingness to revitalize its relations with Morocco, an ally for almost 50 years, based on a long-term vision and with the conviction of building a renewed relationship, where bilateral rapprochement will fully serve the interests of the Colombian people," while maintaining that the decision "respects" International Law, the United Nations Charter, and resolution 2797 (2025) of the UN Security Council on Western Sahara.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Omar Bula Escobar, has added that "the new bilateral dynamic between Colombia and Morocco will be supported by ambitious and concrete cooperation, bearing considerable potential in terms of trade exchanges, investment promotion, tourism, food security, port and logistical development, as well as strengthening Atlantic connectivity between both countries."
Context of the Western Sahara conflict
The Western Sahara, former Spanish colony, was occupied by Morocco in 1975, which triggered the armed resistance of the Polisario Front. The confrontation lasted until 1991, when both parties accepted a ceasefire with the aim of organizing a self-determination referendum. However, discrepancies over the census and the participation of Moroccan settlers have blocked the holding of that consultation to this day.
Reactions from the Polisario Front and the SADR
The Polisario Front issued a statement on Monday expressing its "strong condemnation" of the new Colombian Government's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a decision it described as "an unfortunate staging of a transactional pact, with a deep ideological bias" and which it recalls as "a decision contrary to International Law."
Likewise, the Sahrawi movement has warned about the "negative repercussions of this decision for international peace and security, as it hinders the efforts of the United Nations and the African Union for a just solution in accordance with International Law."
The Polisario Front, which has described the measure as "regrettable," also considers that it "restricts Colombia's international role as a relevant actor in the pursuit of peace" and in promoting cooperation among peoples.
At the same time, the SADR has disseminated a note from the Latin American and Caribbean Platform in Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (PLACSO), which also rejects the announcement of the Colombian Government, stating that it "represents a serious setback regarding the policy developed during the presidency" of Petro, estimating that he oriented his position on Western Sahara "in the realm of self-determination, decolonization, and respect for International Law."
For this platform, this "turn does not constitute an isolated diplomatic decision" but "is part of the political and international alignment" of the new leader with the United States and Israel, "two of the main international supports for the expansionist claims of the Moroccan monarchy over Western Sahara."
PLACSO recalls that "it was the Government of (Donald) Trump that unilaterally recognized the claimed Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahrawi territory, while the Government of (Benjamin) Netanyahu deepened the political, military, and strategic alliance between Israel and Morocco and subsequently supported those same claims."
The organization, which labels the decision as "illegitimate," also argues that "the support of Trump and Netanyahu for the Moroccan monarchy cannot legitimize the plundering of the natural and strategic resources of Western Sahara." "Its fishing, mineral, agricultural, and energy resources belong to the Sahrawi people and cannot be appropriated or exploited as if Morocco exercised legitimate sovereignty over the territory," it has stated.