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Algerian media claim UK reversed its stance on Western Sahara to neutrality [Fact Check]

Days after announcing its change of position on the Western Sahara conflict, supporting Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal as «the most practical, credible, and achievable basis for a lasting resolution», Algerian public and private media claimed that the United Kingdom had reverted to a neutral stance. Algerian media based their reports on a statement published Monday on the official UK government website titled «New UK-Moroccan partnerships to grow UK economy». The news website Algérie Nouvelle, affiliated with the national channel, published an article titled «Britain Retracts and Supports International Legitimacy to Resolve the Western Sahara Conflict». The article added that the British government clarified its position, stating: «The United Kingdom seeks to support a lasting resolution to the Western Sahara conflict that is agreed upon by the parties, supports the UN-led process, and respects the principle of self-determination». The government channel Algérie Internationale reported that «Britain reaffirms its support for UN efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict agreed upon by both parties». Other Algerian media outlets such as El Bilad, Echorouk, Akhbar Al Watan, and Eldjazair Daily published similar articles. David Lammy says the same thing in Rabat and London However, Algerian media failed to mention the UK government's explicit announcement regarding its change of stance on the Sahara conflict. The statement specified that «The UK has chosen to endorse autonomy within the Moroccan state as the most credible, viable, and pragmatic basis for a mutually-agreed and lasting solution to the Western Sahara dispute, one that can deliver on our commitments to conflict resolution in the region and self-determination for the people of Western Sahara». Moreover, Britain, «as a member of the UN Security Council, and as a friend to countries across the region», seeks in its new position «to support a mutually-agreed solution to the conflict that supports the UN-led process and respects the principle of self-determination. Approaching the 50-year anniversary of the conflict, it is vital that we leverage this window of opportunity to secure a lasting solution to the dispute, and one that delivers a better future for the people of the Western Sahara». It is worth noting that this is not the first time Algeria has promoted the idea that countries have withdrawn their support for the autonomy proposal. In April 2024, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune claimed he had «forced» Spain to withdraw its support, and in early May 2025, the Algerian Foreign Ministry asserted that Ghana had also retracted its backing of the autonomy plan. A similar scenario occurred with Sierra Leone, a country that recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, in January 2024, as well as with Slovenia in May of the same year.