The Gambia has renewed its support for Morocco over the disputed territory in Western Sahara. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadou Tangara, who is on an official visit to Morocco, made the pledge to his Moroccan counterparts Nasser Bourita in Rabat Tuesday.

“I take this opportunity to reaffirm, without any ambiguity, the support of my country to the Moroccan Sahara,” Mr Tangara said. 

He said that the Gambia was the first country to open a consulate in the city of Dakhla, “an area that constitutes an integral part of Moroccan territory.”

The Gambian Foreign Minister noted that his current visit to rabat is his first official visit to Morocco after the formation of the new government in Gambia. 

This is “a fact that amply demonstrates the excellence of relations between our two countries,” he said.

Sovereignty over Western Sahara is contested between Morocco and the Polisario Front and its legal status remains unresolved. 

About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, while the remaining 80% of the territory is administered by neighbouring Morocco.