US says Western Sahara negotiations should only be based on Morocco’s proposal

The Trump administration said Tuesday that negotiations to end the war over Western Sahara should only be based on a Moroccan plan that would grant the territory limited autonomy under the sovereignty of the North African nation.

In a meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the U.S. stance, emphasizing that President Donald Trump’s 2020 decision to acknowledge Moroccan sovereignty over the region is still U.S. policy, according to a statement from the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

“The Secretary reaffirmed President Trump’s urging for the parties to engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as the only framework, to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution,” Bruce stated.

Morocco, which claims the region as its own, is at odds with the Algeria-backed Polisario front, which wants to establish an independent state in Western Sahara known as the Sahrawi Republic, in the long-frozen conflict that dates back to 1975.

Rubio stated on Tuesday that a 2007 approach from Morocco was “serious, credible, and realistic” and “the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute,” according to Bruce in the statement.

“The United States continues to believe that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution,” she stated.

As part of an agreement whereby Morocco committed to improve its relations with Israel, Trump acknowledged Moroccan claims to the Western Sahara at the end of his first term in office. The U.S. position is unclear because Trump’s successor Joe Biden avoided commenting on Trump’s action.

France made a similar decision in July of last year, following the U.S. decision in late 2020 to acknowledge Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
In 2022, Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara, declared its support for Morocco’s bid for autonomy.

Morocco claims autonomy is the only basis for negotiations, but Polisario and Algeria demand a referendum, causing a U.N.-led process on the crisis to stagnate.

Morocco has also stated that without Algeria’s involvement, no negotiations can take place. Recognizing the self-declared Sahrawi Republic, Algeria has insisted on having a vote with the option of independence and has declined to participate in roundtables organized by the U.N. envoy to Western Sahara.