Marco Rubio confirms US support of Morocco in Western Sahara
At a meeting in Washington on April 8th, Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, confirmed US support of Morocco’s sovereignty in the Western Sahara region.
According to Moroccan friendly Spanish news website Atalayar, Rubio met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, confirming Morocco’s sovereignty over the region, which was first established in December 2020 under Donald Trump’s previous presidency.
The issue with sovereignty in Western Sahara is a five-decade-long dispute after the Spanish withdrawal from the area in 1975.
Morocco now controls the majority of the region as the Polisario Front an independence movement backed by Algeria controls the rest.
Morocco’s current control is a hotly contested issue, with Algeria rejecting Moroccan control over the region.
The region has been hotly contested for its resources as the desert territory is rich with natural resources such as phosphates and fishing waters.
Despite the issues with who should hold sovereignty in the region, the US has chosen to back Morocco’s control with the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce expressing the US decision after the meeting with Rubio and Bourita.
“The United States recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco’s proposal for serious, credible and realistic autonomy as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.”
Rubio in the meeting further backed this decision claiming that negotiations must be held between all parties involved in the region, insisting that “Morocco’s proposal for autonomy must serve as the only framework for reaching a mutually acceptable solution.”
Algeria has repeatedly rejected the call to sit down and hold talks, choosing instead to support the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and their autonomy in the region over Morocco.
With the support of the new US government and Rubio’s comments promoting Moroccan sovereignty, Morocco has gained key support. However, with a lack of interest in Algeria to sit down and resolve the issue, the Western Sahara will remain a contentious area.
Atalayar, Maghrebi.org
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