The US State Department confirmed on Sunday that the United States’ “clear and consistent” position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara remains unchanged. The statement reiterated Washington’s support for the Moroccan plan for autonomy, describing it as “serious, credible, and realistic.”
In a statement released on the eve of the visit of US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North African Affairs, Joshua Harris, to Morocco (December 17 and 18), the US State Department noted that the official “will reiterate” during his discussions in Rabat “that there is no change regarding the clear and consistent position of the United States.”
This reaffirmation of the stability of Washington’s position aims to refute claims made by some Algerian media outlets. These reports suggested a possible change in the United States’ stance on the Sahara issue following the recent visit of the American diplomat to Algeria.
The communication emphasized that “the United States fully supports the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, de Mistura, in facilitating the negotiation process aimed at reaching a just, lasting, and acceptable solution to the parties” involved in the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
Highlighting the urgency of achieving a negotiated political solution, the statement explained that “the outcome of the negotiations taking place under the auspices of the United Nations, agreed upon by the parties and reflecting their commitment to the efforts of the United Nations in a spirit of realism and compromise, will constitute the final solution to this issue.”
In this context, the communication added, “The United States reaffirms that it considers the Moroccan proposal for autonomy to be serious, credible, and realistic.”
The statement concluded by mentioning that the visit of the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North African Affairs to Rabat will also focus on “strengthening the partnership between the United States and Morocco and addressing a number of priorities in the field of regional security.”