US urges Polisario Front to accept Moroccan sovereignty
US President Donald Trump has urged the Algerian-backed Polisario Front to accept Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, as reported by the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on January 24th.
It is unclear what will happen if the separatist group continues to reject the widely supported Moroccan Autonomy Plan, or Resolution 2797. However, the US administration has reportedly dismissed any discussions about a proposed independence referendum for the territory.
A Polisario Front delegation travelled to Florida on January 18th to engage in talks and targeted lobbying efforts with US officials, with Washington’s Algerian Embassy supporting the negotiations.
Under Resolution 2797, which received support at a UN Security Council vote on October 31st, 2025, the Western Sahara would be granted limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.
The plan has been hailed as a credible and realistic resolution to the territorial dispute between Morocco and Algeria, which has persisted since Spanish colonial rule ended in 1975.
However, Algeria and the Polisario Front have rejected the proposal, with the latter claiming to engage in an armed struggle against a perceived Moroccan occupation on behalf of the Sahrawi people, whose ancestral homeland is the Western Sahara.
Since 1963, the UN has recognised the Western Sahara as a Non-Governing Territory, while the Polisario Front has recognised the so-called Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) since 1976, which the EU reaffirmed its longstanding non-recognition of in May 2025.
Furthermore, Algeria’s seemingly unwavering support for the Polisario Front has led to a deterioration in diplomatic relations, with US advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, urging Algeria to review its stance on the Western Sahara.
Morocco has also pushed for the US to designate the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), a position supported by leading experts and politicians from the US, the UK, Latin America, and European parliaments.
Similarly, at the appointment of Richard Duke Buchan as the US Ambassador to Morocco on January 14th, Buchan signalled Washington’s intention to prioritise political stability and economic investment in North Africa.
The alliance between the US and Morocco goes beyond resolving territorial disputes, as Morocco was the only African country included in a US military support deal worth $303.6 million, which includes radar repair and support services for US-made F-16 fighter jets.
North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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