Peruvian MP Sees Autonomy Plan as Only Credible Solution for Moroccan Sahara’s Sustainable Development

In a press statement after his meeting with Laayoune Governor Abdeslam Bekrate and the Local Council President Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid, Bustamante Donayre said that his visit to the southern provinces of Morocco has allowed him to learn more about the ongoing socio-economic development that benefits the inhabitants of the region.

He also pointed out that this visit has allowed his delegation, composed of members of the Peru-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group, to verify the climate of security, peace and stability prevailing in the region, as well as to learn about the efforts made to strengthen basic infrastructures in the fields of health, education and sports.

The inhabitants of the southern provinces enjoy the same rights and duties as the rest of the Kingdom, within the framework of freedom and democracy, he continued.

Bustamante Donayre, who heads the Peruvian delegation, also recalled that a parliamentary working group has been set up within the Peruvian Congress to support the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco.

For her part, the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Peruvian Congress, Maria del Carmen Alva Prieto, expressed her rejection of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo’s decision to recognize the puppet entity.

« We are against this political position adopted during the mandate of the former president, and we are holding talks with the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the new government so that this decision is modified and recognition of the « puppet republic » is withdrawn, so that bilateral relations with Morocco can be restored to the same level as before, » she stated.

The deputy also pointed out that this visit had enabled the members of the delegation to get a clear idea of the situation, in order to be able to present the autonomy plan of the southern provinces in their country.

After thanking the Moroccan Parliament for its invitation, Alva Prieto announced the creation of a working group within the Peru-Morocco parliamentary friendship group to prepare a detailed report on the real situation of the southern provinces.

In this context, the members of the Peruvian delegation held a meeting with the President of the Communal Council, during which they received a presentation on the development program of the commune of Laayoune, covering the various development projects included in the new development model of the southern provinces launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2015, and were briefed on the role of this elected body in the management of local affairs.