Trump reaffirms Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara

US President Donald Trump on Saturday reaffirmed Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying that “any other path” to resolving the dispute is “unacceptable.”

“The United States has been clear: we recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, and we support Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution,” Trump said in a message to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

“Any other path prolongs the status quo and is unacceptable. This urgently needed solution will not only bring peace to the region but prosperity and greater integration for all of Africa. This dispute must end now, and the United States will continue to drive progress toward that end.”

Relations entered a new phase in December 2020, when Trump issued a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara after Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel.

Western Sahara remains a key issue in North African diplomacy. Morocco has proposed broad autonomy for the territory under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front continues to seek a referendum on self-determination, a position supported by Algeria.

The dispute over Western Sahara dates back to 1975, when Spain ended its colonial rule of the territory. It escalated into armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front until a 1991 ceasefire.