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Rabat – Algeria’s regime and mouthpieces continue to push for a reversal of the US position on Western Sahara. However, the US administration continues to send a clear and consistent response: Washington has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty, and that this stance will remain unchanged.
Upon his visit to Algeria on July 27, Senior Advisor to the US President Massad Boulos received the same typical questions that US officials get from Polisario advocates and separatist lobbyists regarding the US position on Western Sahara.
Boulos, however, once again reiterated and echoed a statement that the US has repeated at least three or four times within just two months.
In an interview with Algerian news outlet Al Watan, journalist Majid Makedhi said that the Sahara issue “remains a point of contention between Algeria and the US.”
Same, same
“The recent statement by the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan provoked a reaction from Algerian authorities, who regretted this position,” the journalist told Boulos.
He also asked the US official for his view on “what is the ‘acceptable-for-all’ solution in this matter?”
The Algerian journalist, however, failed to receive a different response other than the US’s steadfast position.
In the interview published today, Boulos reiterated Rubio’s remarks that the US recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, as well as the serious and credible autonomy plan as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.
“The United States continues to believe that real autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only viable solution,” Boulos said.
He also noted that Rubio’s remarks convey President Trump’s position, which also urges all parties to immediately engage in discussions, using Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the sole framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.
Secretary Rubio made the same position clear to the international community during his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita in April.
US President Donald Trump echoed the same position in a letter to King Mohammed VI on the anniversary of Throne Day last week.
US Ambassador Nominee Richard Duke Buchan III also reiterated his country’s position and highlighted his commitment to continue to advance and defend the same stance once he is confirmed as Washington’s envoy to Rabat.
All of these developments have not been enough to persuade Algeria’s regime to abandon its hostility and lobbying efforts seeking to challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Morocco’s Sahara position, meanwhile, continues to gain momentum with the support of over 123 countries that view the autonomy initiative as the only, or the most credible and serious, basis to resolve the dispute.
Despite this momentum, Algeria continues to deploy its mouthpieces to spread disinformation.
One of the latest maneuvers involved Algeria’s online trolls fabricating a false statement attributed to the US State Department.
The forged statement claimed that the US President’s message to the King and his reaffirmation of Morocco’s sovereignty were fake.
In the interview, Boulos also conveyed that he was reassured by Algeria’s regime regarding cooperation to tackle security challenges in the Sahel.
He said Algeria has shown interest in contributing to regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation.
However, these assurances stand in stark contrast to Algeria’s reluctance to engage in joint security efforts in the region.
Committed to security cooperation while financing terrorism
For years, Morocco has urged Algeria to collaborate in regional security operations to address the growing security challenges in the region.
Yet, Algeria’s regime chooses to interfere in the sovereignty of neighboring states.
In April, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced the recall of their ambassadors from Algiers, accusing the Algerian government of premeditated hostile action.
Algeria’s acts continue to receive criticism, particularly as it continues to finance, harbor, and support the Polisario Front, which has been increasingly linked to terrorist networks operating in the Sahel.
Most recently, Polisario was the subject of a request submitted by US Congressman Joe Wilson to Congress calling for the designation of the group as a terrorist organization.
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