Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has firmly rejected a recent suggestion by a United Nations envoy to divide the contested Western Sahara region, labeling the idea “unacceptable” and citing earlier refusals of similar proposals.
During a closed-door meeting at the UN Security Council last week, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura proposed splitting the territory between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front as a potential solution to the long-running dispute. Bourita revealed that de Mistura had previously raised this idea during an April visit to Morocco, which the kingdom firmly rejected.
“Morocco will not entertain any proposal that undermines its claim over the Sahara. The kingdom’s stance is clear: the Sahara is Moroccan,” Bourita said at a press conference in Rabat.
Western Sahara, a region largely under Moroccan control, has been at the heart of a conflict with the Polisario Front, an independence movement supported by Algeria. The dispute dates back to 1975, following Spain’s departure from the region. While the UN classifies Western Sahara as a “non-autonomous territory,” Morocco governs around 80% of it and advocates for limited autonomy under its sovereignty.
The Polisario Front, however, has been pushing for a UN-backed referendum on self-determination, a plan agreed upon during a 1991 ceasefire but never carried out.
De Mistura, the UN’s current envoy to Western Sahara, has held the role for three years, attempting to mediate the decades-old conflict. Bourita pointed out that Morocco had also turned down a similar proposal in 2002, which had been suggested by former UN envoy James Baker, and backed by Algeria.
“Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara is non-negotiable,” Bourita emphasized, framing the issue as a regional dispute fueled by Algeria’s opposition to Morocco’s territorial claims.
Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria have been strained for years, with ties officially severed in 2021, partly due to tensions surrounding the Western Sahara issue.
In 2020, the United States formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Rabat normalizing relations with Israel.
During the press conference, which was held alongside Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Bourita reiterated the call for “round table” discussions to resolve the conflict politically, but under Moroccan sovereignty. Tsahkna echoed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, describing it as a “serious and credible basis” for a resolution.
