The United States has again reaffirmed its recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and its support for Rabat’s autonomy plan for the disputed territory. Washington says genuine autonomy under Moroccan authority remains the only realistic basis for a lasting political solution.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio restated the position during talks in Washington with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. According to official readouts, Rubio said the US stance, first announced under President Donald Trump in 2020, has not changed.
Trump had recognised Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara as part of a deal in which Rabat agreed to normalise relations with Israel. In a message to King Mohammed VI during his second term, he reiterated US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty and described the autonomy proposal as serious, credible and realistic.
American officials have repeatedly stressed that they do not see full independence for Western Sahara as a feasible option. Instead, they argue that an autonomy arrangement under Moroccan sovereignty is the only practical way to end decades of deadlock between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
The reaffirmed US position has been widely reported in Moroccan and international media and welcomed by Rabat as a diplomatic victory. It also influences debates at the United Nations, where Security Council resolutions continue to extend the mandate of the MINURSO mission while urging a negotiated settlement.
Critics of the US stance say it risks sidelining Sahrawi demands for self determination and could weaken long standing UN efforts to organise a referendum on the territory’s future. Supporters counter that the autonomy plan offers a realistic path to stability and development in the region.
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