UK Delivers Major Blow to Moroccan Occupation with Cancellation of $34 Billion Energy Project
In a significant setback to Morocco’s expansionist ambitions in Western Sahara, the British government has announced the cancellation of a major renewable energy project with the kingdom, estimated at over $34 billion. The move is widely seen as a diplomatic and economic blow to Morocco’s attempts to legitimize its occupation of the Sahrawi territories under the guise of green energy initiatives.
The now-cancelled project, which was set to be the world’s longest subsea power cable linking Morocco to the UK, had been heavily promoted by Moroccan officials as a key strategic venture. Its termination came without prior notice, leaving Rabat reeling from what many observers have described as a political earthquake for its energy and foreign policy agenda.
Although the official reason cited by the UK government focused on supporting domestic energy initiatives, legal and geopolitical factors surrounding the disputed status of Western Sahara appear to have played a decisive role. The region remains classified by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory, and any exploitation of its resources without the consent of the Sahrawi people has been repeatedly challenged in international courts.
This latest development follows a ruling by France’s Council of State, which requires products originating from Western Sahara to be clearly labeled as such, rather than as Moroccan products. That decision was widely interpreted as a legal and symbolic rebuke to Morocco’s territorial claims, and a direct challenge to its European allies, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
The diplomatic pressure spearheaded by the Polisario Front across legal and international platforms has borne fruit in recent years. The European Court of Justice previously ruled against the legality of EU-Morocco agreements covering Western Sahara, citing the lack of consent from the Sahrawi people. Additionally, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) reaffirmed the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, including the right to independently manage their natural resources.
Together, these developments underscore the growing international isolation of Morocco’s position in Western Sahara and highlight the fragility of its reliance on external actors to advance its territorial claims.
