The Polisario Front's allies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are rallying other member states to support the «decolonization and self-determination of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic», the Front's press agency reported on Thursday, April 3. This push is exemplified by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on April 2 between SADC's Executive Secretary, Elias M. Magosi, and the Polisario's representative in Botswana, Bah El Mad Abdellah, according to a statement from the regional bloc. «The goal is to implement decisions adopted by SADC heads of state and government in August 2019 and the Declaration of the SADC Solidarity Conference with the SADR held in March 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa», the statement said. The agreement comes about ten days after a call by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa—who currently chairs SADC—urging member states to defend «the decolonization of Western Sahara». It is worth noting that Morocco has made significant inroads within the SADC in recent years. The growing momentum in recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara has even reached the regional bloc. In December 2019, the Comoros opened a consulate in Laayoune, paving the way for other members seeking to distance themselves from South Africa's diplomatic stance. On October 27, 2020, Zambia—previously a supporter of the «SADR»—and Eswatini both opened diplomatic missions in Dakhla and Laayoune, respectively. The Democratic Republic of Congo followed in December 2020, establishing a consulate in Dakhla. Malawi took a similar step on June 21, 2021, with a consulate in Laayoune. This momentum has considerably weakened the SADC's pro-Polisario stance. At the latest African Union summit, held in February in Addis Ababa, Polisario allies failed to include the AU's traditional support for their cause in the final communiqué. In contrast, Morocco successfully advanced its position in the declaration of the 38th Union conclave.
