Jamaica withdraws recognition for Western Sahara

Jamaica has decided to withdraw its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) declared by the Polisario Front, the Moroccan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade reported on Wednesday.

The diplomatic declaration, received by Moroccan Minister Nasir Bourita on his visit to the Caribbean country, stated that Jamaica would notify the United Nations (UN) regarding its decision to withdraw its recognition.

According to Anadolu Agency, Jamaica expressed its standing “with the international community in its efforts to reach a just and peaceful solution to this regional, long-standing dispute.”

Since 2000, 34 countries have withdrawn its recognition of the SADR, including nine countries of the Caribbean.

Jamaica’s reported decision to withdraw its recognition of the SADR may open up further cooperation between Morocco and Jamaica, with various meetings organised in the coming weeks to discuss agricultural, economic and touristic cooperation.

The withdrawal of Jamaica’s support for the Western Sahara project of the Polisario Front raises the question of whether more Caribbean states will follow suit.

Morocco’s previous attempts to convince other countries to withdraw their recognition of the SADR resulted in the African Union withdrawing Rabat’s participation from the African organisation in 1984.