Rabat – US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos has reaffirmed Washington’s support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the only basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute.
In a post shared on X, Boulos said that during his meeting with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, he “emphasized the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the only basis for a just and lasting solution in Western Sahara.”
He also added that the United States remains committed to peace and stability in the region, noting the need to preserve the ceasefire in Gaza and support for Lebanon, Libya, and Somalia.
Boulos’s remarks come at a time when the international community has shown growing support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, which proposes granting self-governance to the Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty.
Just last week, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, which “references Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal presented in 2007 as a basis for negotiations.” The resolution renewed the mandate of MINURSO, the UN mission in the region, and called on all parties to engage in the political process in a spirit of realism and compromise.
The resolution passed with 11 votes in favor, including the US, the UK, and France, with none against. Three countries—Pakistan, China, and Russia—abstained, while Algeria did not participate in the vote.
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The adoption of the resolution was widely celebrated in Morocco, with officials describing it as another diplomatic success that reinforces the country’s position on the legal status of its southern provinces.
Shortly after the resolution’s adoption, King Mohammed VI addressed the nation in a special speech, describing the development as a “pivotal moment and a crucial turning point in the history of modern Morocco.”
After 50 years of sacrifices, he argued, Morocco is “starting a new chapter in the process of consolidating the Moroccanness of the Sahara, and closing, once and for all, this fabricated conflict, within the framework of a consensual solution based on the Autonomy Initiative.”
Moroccan diplomacy has gained considerable momentum in recent years as more countries recognized the country’s autonomy plan and opened consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla. Over 30 countries, mainly from Africa and the Arab world, have taken this step in recent years.
The monarch added “the time has come for a unified Morocco to emerge – from Tangier to Lagouira – a Morocco whose rights and historical borders would not be infringed upon by anyone.”