Morocco boycotts sports events in Tunisia after diplomatic dispute

Morocco announced it will boycott sports events in Tunisia in an escalation between Rabat and Tunis diplomatic tensions over the disputed Western Sahara region.

The Moroccan Karate Federation announced on Sunday that it will cancel its participation in the North African Karate Championships to be held in Tunisia next month.

Meanwhile, Al-Meknassi Basketball Club, a regional Basketball team, announced its withdrawal from the Arab Championship for Women's Clubs scheduled in Tunisia on 20 September.

More cancellations are expected to be announced this week.

On Friday, Tunisian President Kais Saied welcomed Brahim Ghali, the leader of the separatist movement Polisario Front and Rabat's main enemy, when he arrived to attend the Japanese-African investment conference TICAD in Tunis.

Morocco reacted furiously to Tunis' "hostile" and "unnecessarily provocative act" by immediately withdrawing its Tunis ambassador for consultations and cancelling its participation in the high-profile conference.

The North African drama continued with the Tunisian Foreign Ministry accusing Rabat of overreacting over Tunisia's long-standing neutrality over the Western Sahara dispute in respect of international law.

Moroccan political parties unanimously condemned Kais Saied's "stab in the back."

The Moroccan palace stressed that friendship with Rabat will be measured by a state's diplomatic stand on the Western Sahara dispute, leaving no room for neutrality regarding Morocco's main national cause.

In his speech on August 20, Moroccan King Mohammed VI called on Rabat's partners to "clarify" their position over the disputed Western Sahara territory and offer "unequivocal" support.

It is not the first time Ghali's travels sparked disputes in the region.

In April 2021, Ghali headed to Spain to be treated for Covid-19, setting off a year-long diplomatic row between Spain and the North African kingdom.

In March this year, the diplomatic stalemate ended after Madrid dropped its decades-long stance of neutrality over its former colony and backed the Moroccan autonomy plan in the territory.

Morocco fought a 15-year war with the Polisario Front separatist movement after Spain withdrew from its former colony in 1975. 

In 1991, the UN established a peacekeeping mission to monitor a ceasefire and organise a referendum on the territory's status. 

The vote was set for 1992 but was suspended after Morocco refused to accept any vote that allowed for the territory's independence, saying that only "autonomy" was on the table.

In 2006, Morocco presented its autonomy plan regarding the territory, which is supposed to allow Sahrawis to run their affairs "democratically" through legislative, executive, and judicial bodies, while Rabat retains control over the defence and foreign relations.

For its part, the UN has backed the plan, yet the Polisario Front rejected Rabat's proposal and continues to call for an independent state for Sahrawis.

Since then, numerous UN-sponsored talks have failed to make a breakthrough, each side further entrenched in their positions.