Western Sahara: US advisor endorses Moroccan Autonomy Plan
US President Donald Trump’s senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, has reaffirmed Washington’s support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, according to the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on November 5th.
On social media, Boulos said that the plan, which would grant the disputed Western Sahara territory limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty, is the “sole foundation for a just and lasting solution.”
The UN Security Council voted to endorse the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, known as Resolution 2797, on October 31st, a day which was subsequently declared a national “Unity Day” by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on November 4th.
The US is one of 130 countries to have voiced support for the plan, with US Ambassador Mike Waltz describing the proposal as the most “credible and realistic Autonomy Proposal.”
It is hoped that Resolution 2797 will resolve the 50-year conflict between Morocco and Algeria, which began when Spanish colonial rule of the territory ended in 1975.
Morocco has claimed sovereignty over the region, with Algeria backing the Polisario Front which first established the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976. The Polisario Front is a separatist movement that claims to fight for self-determination for the Sahrawi people, whose ancestral homeland is the Western Sahara.
Pro-Algerian media outlets have criticised the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, with some accusing the UAE and France of conducting a “systematic pressure campaign” that targeted 15 UN Security Council members through “methods that contradict diplomatic norms and UN standards.”
Ahead of the UN Security Council vote, Algeria called for a referendum on the issue on October 30th, despite analysts believing this proposal to be difficult to conduct, as some Sahrawi people reside in the Western Sahara, while others live in refugee camps in Morocco, resulting in an unclear electoral roll.
On April 23rd, pro-Algerian media accused Morocco of systematically displacing the Sahrawi people from the disputed territory. This displacement was allegedly being done through the destruction of homes and the confiscation of land across the region.
The Polisario Front has rejected the Moroccan plan and refuses to participate in negotiations because it perceives Morocco as an illegal occupying power. The militia group believes that negotiations would legitimise the actions of what it calls the “Moroccan occupier.”
However, the US has not been unanimous in its support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, with US diplomat and former National Security Advisor John Bolton voicing his belief that self-determination is the only viable solution to the conflict.
Bolton accused the UN of demonstrating “true weakness” over its support for Morocco’s plan, while also dismissing claims that the Polisario Front is linked to terrorist groups. This position is at odds with the US administration, which has been urged by Morocco to designate the group as a terrorist organisation.
North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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