
Guatemala Reaffirms Support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan at UN Session
Rabat – At a recent session of the UN's Special Committee on Decolonization (C24) in New York, Guatemala restated its clear support for Morocco's territorial integrity, calling for a political solution to the regional dispute over the Western Sahara.
Representing Guatemala, the country's diplomat described Morocco's Autonomy Plan, proposed in 2007, as 'a realistic and credible foundation' for any future agreement.
'This proposal remains a serious path toward a negotiated outcome between the parties,' she said, noting the need to preserve Morocco's unity and sovereign rights.
Guatemala's stance aligns with its broader approach in international forums, where it supports peaceful dialogue and stability.
The representative underlined her country's trust in Morocco's efforts to find common ground and move toward a fair and lasting solution to the dispute.
She also acknowledged the role of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in trying to revive momentum in the political process, which has long remained fragile.
Speaking beyond diplomatic formulas, the Guatemalan official pointed to Morocco's efforts in the southern provinces, not only as political gestures but as real changes.
'The country has adopted concrete measures to improve life in the region and to invest in its future,' she noted, referring to ongoing development projects and investment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
Her statement closed with a reminder of Guatemala's own commitment.
In December 2022, the country opened a consulate general in Dakhla, a move that went beyond symbolic recognition. For Guatemala, it marked a step toward stronger ties with Morocco and a firm position in support of a peaceful and sovereign solution.
Today, Panama also reaffirmed its firm support for Morocco's territorial integrity and backed the Autonomy Plan as the most credible path forward to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara.

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Guatemala Reaffirms Support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan at UN Session
Rabat – At a recent session of the UN's Special Committee on Decolonization (C24) in New York, Guatemala restated its clear support for Morocco's territorial integrity, calling for a political solution to the regional dispute over the Western Sahara. Representing Guatemala, the country's diplomat described Morocco's Autonomy Plan, proposed in 2007, as 'a realistic and credible foundation' for any future agreement. 'This proposal remains a serious path toward a negotiated outcome between the parties,' she said, noting the need to preserve Morocco's unity and sovereign rights. Guatemala's stance aligns with its broader approach in international forums, where it supports peaceful dialogue and stability. The representative underlined her country's trust in Morocco's efforts to find common ground and move toward a fair and lasting solution to the dispute. She also acknowledged the role of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in trying to revive momentum in the political process, which has long remained fragile. Speaking beyond diplomatic formulas, the Guatemalan official pointed to Morocco's efforts in the southern provinces, not only as political gestures but as real changes. 'The country has adopted concrete measures to improve life in the region and to invest in its future,' she noted, referring to ongoing development projects and investment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Her statement closed with a reminder of Guatemala's own commitment. In December 2022, the country opened a consulate general in Dakhla, a move that went beyond symbolic recognition. For Guatemala, it marked a step toward stronger ties with Morocco and a firm position in support of a peaceful and sovereign solution. Today, Panama also reaffirmed its firm support for Morocco's territorial integrity and backed the Autonomy Plan as the most credible path forward to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara.


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Rabat – Panama renewed its support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan as a serious, credible, and realistic basis to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara. Panama's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez, reaffirmed his country's unwavering support for Morocco's territorial integrity on Monday following a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, today in Rabat. During a press conference, the Panamanian minister stressed that Morocco's 2007 Autonomy Plan 'should be the only solution in the future,' noting that his position on the dispute is clear and firm – backing the Moroccan initiative as a path toward a lasting resolution. Morocco's autonomy initiative has been enjoying growing support with over 113 countries – seeing it as the most or only feasible political framework to end the dispute. In November last year, Panama suspended diplomatic relations with the self-styled SADR, a separatist group controlled by Algeria and run by Polisario's leadership. 'The Republic of Panama , prioritizing national interests and remaining faithful to the fundamental principles of its foreign policy, reaffirms its conviction in the objectives and values that guide multilateralism and reiterates its commitment to continue supporting the efforts made by the Secretary General and the international community, under the framework of the UN, toward a peaceful, just, sustainable, and acceptable solution for the parties concerned with the Sahara issue,' a statement from the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Following the official announcement, Panama announced its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute. It also recalls the importance of advancing the political process on the international level, supporting the UN-led political process in finding a mutually acceptable and agreed-upon solution to the dispute. During his working visit, the Panamanian foreign minister also delivered a written message to King Mohammed VI from the president of the country Jose Raul Moulino. A statement published by Morocco's news agency said the message 'Reflects the will of the Heads of State of both countries to strengthen the positive momentum in Morocco-Panama relations and to elevate them to broader horizons of cooperation and complementarity in the service of the two friendly nations.' Tags: 2007 Autonomy planAlgeria and the Sahara


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US Under Trump's Leadership Propels Push for Final Resolution of Sahara Dispute
Doha – A Spanish think tank report suggests the United States under President Donald Trump's returned administration is moving decisively toward resolving the decades-long fabricated Western Sahara dispute. This would potentially draw a definitive close to one of Africa's most unnecessarily prolonged and politically manufactured territorial falsehoods, long sustained by external agendas rather than historical legitimacy. According to an analysis published by Instituto Coordenadas de Gobernanza y Economia Aplicada on June 11, 'the Trump administration has urged Algeria and the Polisario Front to sit down immediately with Morocco and accept that the only possible political path is autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.' During his first term, Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, marking a landmark diplomatic breakthrough for Rabat. Now, following his return to office in January, the American president appears poised to complete this initiative by establishing a definitive roadmap to resolve this contrived and concocted standoff in North Africa. Last April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the 'unwavering support' of his country for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, in addition to expressly stressing that the Autonomy Proposal presented by Rabat is the only viable and realistic solution to resolve the prolonged dispute in the region. Algeria pressed to choose between change or deeper isolation Washington has signaled its intention to review and potentially suspend funding for several UN missions, including the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). In a sharply worded op-ed published on March 19 in the Washington Examiner, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, called on the United States to halt funding for MINURSO, describing it as a failed mission that 'preserves and provokes conflict.' He labeled the Algerian-backed Polisario Front a 'Marxist' group that 'holds wives and children as hostages' in the Tindouf camps to block Sahrawis from returning to Morocco. 'By funding these camps and inflating Polisario legitimacy,' Rubin wrote, 'the UN perpetuates the problem.' This possible withdrawal of financial support 'underscores the urgency for direct parties – Algeria and the Polisario Front – to join negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty,' the Instituto Coordenadas report states. The report asserts that 'today, Morocco's autonomy proposal is the only basis for a credible and viable solution, but to make way for it, Washington needs the complicity and commitment of Algeria.' The White House has adopted measures 'to pressure Algiers, including pushing for Polisario disarmament and dismantling the Tindouf camps,' to bring all parties to the negotiating table. 'Presumably, Algeria will be subjected to pressure of unprecedented intensity, which will practically leave it no room for maneuver. That is the intention, at least,' the analysis notes. Refusal to cooperate could result in 'devastating consequences: greater diplomatic isolation, legal complications for its support of the movement, and probable secondary sanctions against Algerian entities that maintain links with the Polisario.' The report cautions that 'in Algiers, abandoning support for the Polisario after fifty years of commitment would be perceived as capitulation by a significant portion of the national establishment.' Another pressure point involves 'the threat of declaring the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO),' which constitutes a serious warning. A recent article published by the Hudson Institute on April 18 presents 'detailed legal arguments' maintaining that 'the Polisario Front meets the three legal criteria to be designated as an FTO' under Section 219 of the US immigration and nationality law. Washington's rush to seal the Sahara file Morocco's UN Ambassador Omar Hilale stated in an April interview with Medi1TV that 'the United States is determined to close the Western Sahara file, and we hope to celebrate the final end of this dispute at the 50th anniversary of the Green March with our Algerian neighbors.' The anniversary falls on November 6 – a highly symbolic date for all Moroccans. Speaking from New York, Hilale added that the current international context is 'marked by a positive dynamic and unprecedented international efforts.' He noted that more than 110 countries now support Morocco's position. The Instituto Coordenadas analysis explains that the Trump Administration considers Morocco an essential partner in its strategy for stabilizing the Sahel. American expectations regarding the Sahara 'aim to consolidate Morocco in a new status as a pivotal state in the US strategy for Africa.' In this regard, Washington's rush to resolve the Sahara dispute is also explained by its direct implications for the stability of the Sahel, a strategic region facing multiple security challenges, the report continues. 'This concern is reinforced by the growing presence of rival powers in the region, especially China, although it does not support the Sahrawi demands. One of Trump's international priorities is to counter China's growing influence in the world, including Africa,' the report continues. According to the report, there are also powerful economic interests in this urgency: the persistence of the dispute destabilizes the region and disrupts access to uranium, gold, and rare earth deposits that are vital to global supply chains. For the Iberian think tank, the US administration 'is aware of the enormous economic potential of the African continent, which promises the greatest future growth (demographic and economic), but also immense mineral wealth.' 'The White House is eager to establish new relational frameworks with countries in the region that take into account protection in terms of security, the definition of formulas to achieve greater political stability, and economic agreements that provide preferential access to resources and markets,' the analysis went on to say. The report argues that the American urgency to resolve the Sahara dispute is the result of a conjunction of strategic factors: the limitations of the internal political calendar, with the midterm elections (2026) in mind; the desire to consolidate Morocco as a pivotal state in Africa; competition for African mineral resources; and the determination to counter the influence of rival powers on the continent. Curtains closing on a separatist relic Rubio's forceful declaration, issued after his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, inflicted a humiliating setback on Algeria's outdated narrative. His statement erased any lingering ambiguity surrounding the stance of Trump's second administration and cemented US recognition as an irreversible pillar of American foreign policy. This bold reaffirmation torpedoed Algeria's worn-out campaign to resuscitate its decades-old partition scheme between Morocco and the Polisario Front. And for the shrinking chorus of separatist sympathizers, the message couldn't be clearer: even Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, came face to face with the reality that separatism has been sidelined – a relic of the past in a dossier Morocco has already locked in its favor. Meanwhile, international calls are mounting to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. In an opinion piece published on June 10 in La Provincia, Igacio Ortiz recalled Polisario's terrorist attacks against workers from Fos Bucraa and fishermen from the Canary Islands. ACAVITE has filed complaints against the Polisario for the separatist group's involvement in assassinating 300 people between 1970 and 1980. In April, US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson announced, 'I will introduce legislation to designate the Polisario as terrorists,' accusing Algeria and Russia of using the separatist front to gain a strategic foothold in Africa. Former UK Secretary of State for Defense Liam Fox made a similar appeal, stating: 'Like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Polisario Front is an Iranian proxy organisation. For the sake of our Moroccan allies, Western governments must move quickly to designate this group as a terrorist organisation.' As international support continues to grow for Morocco's position, De Mistura delivered what he called a 'strategic window' for the next three months to build a renewed roadmap toward a political settlement. De Mistura urged capitalizing on the current momentum, which he described as an 'unprecedented impetus,' to establish the groundwork for regional de-escalation and credible political process revival.