Jeune Afrique l'Intelligent: Serious drop in number of countries recognizing Polisario's SADR

The number of countries recognizing the Polisario Front's self-proclaimed Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is "seriously dropping," noted "Jeune Afrique l'Intelligent" weekly in its latest edition.

The Polisario, an Algeria-backed guerrilla movement, is claiming the separation of Morocco's southern provinces (known as the Sahara). The former Spanish colony was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under Madrid Accords signed with Spain and Mauritania.

The number of countries bound by diplomatic relations with SADR has fallen from 76 in 1995 to 49 at present, the magazine noted in an article titled "need of recognition."

Outside Africa, no developed country has relations with SADR, and only one European country (Albania) still has ties with the self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic, noted the magazine, adding that even the number of African countries recognizing Polisario's self-proclaimed republic has dropped from 34 to 22.

"If the African Union had to vote on this issue, SADR would be supported only by a minority: 22 out of 52 countries," it went on.

The weekly recalled the latest country that decided to freeze its recognition of SADR, namely Madagascar whose President, Marc Ravalomanana, announced on April 6, during a visit to Morocco, that his country will freeze its recognition of the so-called Sahrawi republic.

Madagascar's decision raises questions about the status of SADR "as a full member of the African Union," commented the paper.