On December 10, 2020, then President Donald Trump tweeted that because “Morocco recognized the United States in 1777,” the U.S. should return the favor by recognizing “[Moroccan] sovereignty over the Western Sahara.”

The early days of the Marcos Jr. administration may preview the remainder of his term.

On December 12, the Sultan of Sokoto publicly said that disobedience to court orders is “a recipe for lawlessness and chaos.” He said, “We must regularly obey and respect the laws of our land. We should never disregard the laws to avoid the consequences. If a court makes a judicial pronouncement on a particular matter, it should be obeyed to the letter.” Though he never mentioned Sowore by name, the Sultan’s audience understood that the context was the State Security Service (SSS) invasion of a court room and the re-arrest of Omoyele Sowore contrary to court order.