Western Sahara: Sweden backs Moroccan sovereignty

Sweden has reaffirmed its support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, as reported by the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on January 20th.

This support was expressed in a statement released by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs following a phone conversation on January 19th between Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Nasser Bourita, her Moroccan counterpart.

According to the statement, the Ministry “expresses support for [Moroccan sovereignty], in light of the recently adopted Security Council resolution 2797,” as a “credible basis” for negotiations to resolve the long-standing dispute.

Resolution 2797, or the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, received widespread support at the UN Security Council on October 31st, 2025, with 130 countries backing the plan, which would grant the Western Sahara limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.

Through its support, Sweden joins the majority of EU nations and more than two-thirds of UN Security Council members in backing Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.

It is hoped that Resolution 2797 will resolve the 50-year territorial dispute between Morocco and Algeria, which began when Spanish colonial rule over the Western Sahara ended in 1975.

Despite widespread support for the plan, Algeria has rejected the proposal and backs the Polisario Front, a separatist militia that claims to engage in an armed struggle against what it perceives as Morocco’s illegal military occupation of the territory.

Similarly, the Polisario Front claims to fight for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people, whose ancestral homeland is the Western Sahara.

The Polisario Front first recognised the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976; however, this state remains unrecognised by the EU.

Algeria’s seemingly unwavering support for the Polisario Front has led to its diplomatic ties deteriorating on the global stage, with 46 countries suspending or severing ties over its support for the militia.

Furthermore, European and American counter-terrorism agencies have expressed concerns about the Polisario Front’s apparent links to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia; both groups reportedly receive funding from Iran.

It was reported in June 2025 that the US sought to introduce legislation that would designate the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), with its alleged role in “destabilising the Kingdom of Morocco” being cited as a primary justification for this decision.

North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org