US Reaffirms Support for Moroccan Sovereignty in Western Sahara Dispute

"Today (Friday, September 5, editor’s note) I met with the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Western Sahara, H.E. Staffan de Mistura. I reiterated that the clear position of the United States on the Sahara: genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only viable solution for the Western Sahara," Massad Boulos wrote in a post shared on X after his meeting with Staffan de Mistura, in Washington, on Friday. The advisor to US President Donald Trump for Arab, Middle Eastern and African affairs added that they also discussed the "stabilizing role of MINURSO as well as the paths to regional peace." He said he was "grateful for the ongoing coordination in view of the upcoming Security Council discussion."

This meeting comes as the annual Security Council meeting to review the Sahara file and renew MINURSO’s mandate is scheduled for late October.

During a visit to Algiers on July 27 as part of a diplomatic mission aimed at "boosting trade" as a means of stability in the region, Boulos reaffirmed the US position on the Sahara. "The United States recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and supports your autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute," President Donald Trump reiterated in his letter addressed to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Throne Feast. This recognition "leaves the door open to dialogue to reach a solution accepted by both parties," his special advisor nuanced, hoping to achieve a "quick solution" to the conflict.