Peru decides to open a consulate in Dakhla in support of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara

Peru announced, on Thursday evening, its readiness to open a consulate in the city of Dakhla, in a move that reflects Lima's support for Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces. The announcement came in a joint communiqué following a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and his Peruvian counterpart, Carlos Espa y Garcés Alvar, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Full support for UNSCR 2797 The joint communiqué confirmed Peru's full adoption of UNSCR 2797, Adopted by the Council in October 2025, which, according to the Common Document, gave a “new impetus” to the process of settling the dispute over the Sahara based on the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative. Peru described this initiative as a "just, lasting and mutually acceptable" political solution, in a reaffirmation of its alignment with the Moroccan position on the file, only a few months after the issuance of the UN resolution. The Peruvian consulate in Dakhla, if opened, is not the first of its kind, as several countries have already opened diplomatic and consular representations in the city itself and in the city of Laayoune in recent months, in the context of an escalating dynamic that the Moroccan Sahara file has known since the adoption of the last Security Council resolution. For its part, the Peruvian authorities explained that the prospective consulate in Dakhla will not be limited to the diplomatic side, but will also serve as a platform for the entry of Peruvian products to African markets, taking advantage of the city's strategic location as a southern gateway for Morocco towards the continent. This economic dimension comes, according to the report The joint agreement reinforces the strength of bilateral relations between Rabat and Lima, which have had diplomatic relations for decades. Why does this ad matter? The Peruvian declaration is of particular importance in the current diplomatic context of the Moroccan Sahara issue, as it comes within a series of successive international positions that promoted the recognition of the autonomy initiative as the sole basis for a settlement, following the recent Security Council resolution. The joint communiqué did not specify an exact date for the opening of the consulate, while additional details have not yet been issued by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding The move, which came as part of a series of bilateral meetings that brought Bourita together with the foreign ministers of a number of countries on the sidelines of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly.