RABAT, 23 October (Bernama-MAP) -- Ecuador announced on Tuesday its decision to suspend recognition of the so-called Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Morocco’s official news agency Maghreb Arabe Press (MAP) reported.
Ecuador had initially acknowledged the SADR in 1983, with the establishment of a purported embassy in 2009.
Ecuador's Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, conveyed the decision to her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, during a phone call.
She also confirmed that a formal notification had been sent to the representatives of the separatists in Quito.
This decision aligns with the momentum driven by King Mohammed VI in recent years, aimed at affirming Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and promoting the Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for resolving this regional dispute.
Ecuador's decision to suspend recognition of the "SADR" marks a new chapter in relations between Morocco and the Latin American country.
The SADR is a self-proclaimed state established by the Polisario Front in 1976, aiming to represent the people of Western Sahara, a disputed territory in North Africa.
The SADR claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, but Morocco administers approximately 80 per cent of the area, which it regards as its Southern Provinces.
-- BERNAMA-MAP
