Belgium's endorsement of Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara has stirred discontent in Algeria, as evidenced by the sparse coverage on the Al24 News website of the statements made by Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintinn during his visit to Rabat on Wednesday. The official Algerian media reported that «Belgium supports the organization of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara». It further claimed that «Belgium's position on the Western Sahara issue contradicts the stances of France and the Moroccan Makhzen regarding the autonomy plan, which the United Nations has never endorsed». Despite this, Al24 News did acknowledge that the Belgian Foreign Minister expressed support for «UN Security Council Resolution 2703», which was passed on October 31, 2024, with 12 votes in favor and 2 abstentions from Russia and Mozambique. Notably, Algeria abstained from the vote. In Rabat, Minister Quintinn emphasized Belgium's awareness of the Sahara issue's significance to Morocco. «Belgium considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative a serious and credible effort by Morocco, and a very good basis for a solution acceptable to the parties», Quintinn stated during a press briefing following his discussions with his Moroccan counterpart. «During our meeting, Minister Bourita presented me with the main elements of this (autonomy) plan, and I deepened my knowledge of it, with interest. This enabled me to understand the ins and outs of this plan and to appreciate the existential nature of this issue for Morocco», he added. Quintinn also observed, «I also note that important European and international partners have changed their positions. I'm sure that our countries will continue to engage in constructive dialogue on this subject». It is worth recalling that in October 2022, Hadja Lahbib, the former Belgian Foreign Minister, characterized Morocco's 2007 proposal as «a good basis» for resolving the conflict.
