Ivory Coast Reaffirms Support for Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Sahara

 

Rabat , NETTInpo. Com

The Republic of Ivory Coast has reaffirmed its support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco, including the Sahara region. The position was stated in a Joint Communiqué following bilateral talks in Rabat on May 21, 2026.

The meeting brought together Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Ivory Coast’s Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nialé Kaba. The visit marked Kaba’s first official trip to Morocco since taking office.

In the joint statement, Ivory Coast expressed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative. Abidjan also welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 on October 31, 2025. The resolution describes the autonomy scheme under Moroccan sovereignty as the serious, credible, and durable basis for a political solution to the Sahara dispute.

Bourita thanked Ivory Coast for its consistent position. He cited the opening of Ivory Coast’s Consulate General in Laayoune on February 18, 2020, as concrete evidence of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Response from Indonesia 

The development drew comment from the Indonesian-Moroccan Sahara Brotherhood (Persisama). Persisama President Wilson Lalengke said Ivory Coast’s stance strengthens international validation of Morocco’s territorial integrity.

“The consistent position of Ivory Coast shows that separatist narratives have lost legitimacy at both the regional and global levels,” Wilson said in Jakarta on May 22, 2026.

He added that the presence of the Ivorian consulate in Laayoune since 2020 reflects stability and development in the region. According to Wilson, the autonomy plan is a humane and realistic solution that deserves international backing, including from Indonesia.

The Rabat meeting is seen as part of a growing trend of African states backing Morocco’s position at the UN.