Latest news with #AutonomyProposal
Ya Biladi
7 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Trump reaffirms US support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara on Throne Day
On the occasion of Throne Day, President Donald Trump extended his congratulations to King Mohammed VI. This message holds particular weight as the Security Council's October deadline looms. «I also reiterate that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute», stated the 47th President of the United States in his message to the monarch. This stance was initially declared during his first term on December 10, 2020. «The United States deeply values our strong and enduring partnership with Morocco. Together, we are advancing shared priorities for peace and security in the region, including by building on the Abraham Accords, combatting terrorism and expanding commercial cooperation that benefits both Americans and Moroccans», wrote the White House occupant. «I look forward to continuing our collaboration to promote regional stability, prosperity and peace», concluded Donald Trump in his message to King Mohammed VI. Since his return to the White House, formalized on January 20, 2025, this marks the first time Trump has officially reiterated his recognition of Morocco's claim over the Sahara. This position was further clarified by the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on April 8 in Washington following his discussions with Nasser Bourita.
Ya Biladi
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
New U.S. Ambassador Duke Buchan III: Morocco is key to America's security and prosperity
King Mohammed VI is a «respected leader and a friend of the United States», said Duke Buchan III, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Morocco. Speaking during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington on Tuesday, Buchan emphasized that the Kingdom of Morocco is «a pillar of stability», and that its strategic location makes it «vital to U.S. national security». «Morocco has long been a key security partner, hosting AFRICOM's largest joint military exercise, African Lion, and serving as a capable and reliable ally in the fight against terrorism, particularly in Africa», said Buchan, whose nomination was announced in March by President Donald Trump. «If confirmed, I will work to strengthen our long-standing security partnership as we face shared challenges», he told the Senate Committee, highlighting that Morocco is one of the United States' oldest allies. «Our Treaty of Peace and Friendship dates back to 1786. For nearly 240 years, our bilateral relationship has made both Americans and Moroccans safer, stronger, and more prosperous», he noted. Buchan also described Morocco as «a model economic partner», pointing to strong trade ties between the two countries. He called for expanding opportunities for American businesses «throughout Morocco, where the U.S. can bring cutting-edge technology to support Morocco's development goals in sectors like technology, transportation, agriculture, and energy». The ambassador-designate also reaffirmed the U.S. position, reiterated on April 8 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara and supporting «Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the conflict». He added that the Secretary of State also echoed President Trump's call for the parties to «engage without delay in negotiations, using Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the sole framework for a mutually acceptable solution». On this point, Buchan affirmed his commitment to «facilitating progress toward that goal». When announcing Buchan's nomination in March, President Trump said he «will play a key role as we advance peace, freedom, and prosperity for both of our countries». Duke Buchan III previously served as U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra (2017–2021). Born in North Carolina in 1963, he has had a long career in investment and finance.
Morocco World
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
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.
Maroc
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
UK Position Will Strengthen Momentum Around Moroccan Sahara Issue Under HM the King's Leadership
The position expressed by the United Kingdom regarding the Moroccan Sahara will help reinforce the momentum this issue has gained under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, stated Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, on Sunday in Rabat. This position represents "a significant development," given that the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a member of the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary-General on the Sahara, noted Bourita during a press briefing with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, David Lammy. In this regard, the minister noted that "four countries within the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary-General on the Sahara have now joined this dynamic and expressed support for the Autonomy Initiative—namely France, the United States, Spain, and now the United Kingdom." Bourita also emphasized that the United Kingdom has always been an influential and credible voice at the European, UN, and international levels. He added that this position will also have positive economic implications, as UK Export Finance may consider supporting investment projects in the southern provinces of the Kingdom. He stressed that Morocco does not view the growing support for its position on the Sahara as a privilege or a means of maintaining the status quo, but rather as a factor that can help bring about a resolution to a conflict that has lasted more than 50 years. Bourita noted that the United Nations and the international community now have a real opportunity to reach a definitive solution to this dispute, based on the Autonomy Initiative proposed by Morocco within the framework of its sovereignty. He expressed hope that all parties will engage seriously in finding a lasting resolution to the issue. Furthermore, Bourita described Lammy's visit to the Kingdom as "historic" in many respects. He explained that this is the first visit by a UK Foreign Secretary to Morocco since 2011, and it will allow for a qualitative leap in bilateral relations. It also provided an opportunity to hold the 5th session of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries and to discuss various bilateral and regional issues. "This visit is also significant and historic in that it enabled the United Kingdom to express its position on the Moroccan Sahara," the minister added, noting that the joint communiqué signed on this occasion affirms that the United Kingdom "considers the Autonomy Proposal presented [by Morocco] in 2007 as the most credible, serious, and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution to the regional dispute" over the Moroccan Sahara, and "will continue to act at the bilateral level, particularly in economic matters, as well as regionally and internationally, in line with this position." Bourita also stated that this visit marks a turning point in relations between the two countries. He emphasized that, in line with the High Royal Directives aimed at diversifying and strengthening partnerships, Morocco has engaged in a dialogue to further develop "our bilateral relations based on the centuries-old ties between the two countries and the special relationship uniting the two Royal Families." As a result, the minister stressed that the two countries are working to inject new momentum into their bilateral relations and to elevate the Morocco-UK partnership to cover all sectors, including the economy, security, culture, defense, investment, education, and scientific research. In addition, Bourita recalled that four agreements were signed on this occasion, with more expected to be concluded in the coming two days, giving new impetus to Morocco–UK relations and ushering in a new era of bilateral cooperation. (MAP: 02 June 2025)
Arab News
16-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
The president, the sultan and a global trade war: What now for Morocco and the US?
Amid the global uncertainty of tariffs, trade wars and shifting geopolitical alliances, one thing is for certain: Morocco remains a key strategic partner for the US in Africa. Donald Trump's first term as president was notable for the US recognition in 2020 of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Early in his second term, this commitment was reaffirmed by his secretary of state, Marco Rubio. During a recent meeting with the Moroccan foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, Rubio reiterated that Morocco's Autonomy Proposal for Western Sahara was 'serious, credible (and) the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.' This is the latest iteration in a centuries-old strategic bilateral partnership. Morocco and the US have maintained strong relations, rooted in mutual interests, for more than two centuries. Sultan Sidi Mohammed bin Abdullah initiated the friendship in the 18th century when Morocco became the first country to recognize the newly independent United States by announcing that all US-flagged vessels could freely enter Moroccan ports. Commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries commenced in 1786 with the signing of the Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The strong relationship that ensued led to the establishment of a US diplomatic mission, which was housed within the stunning Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies for nearly 150 years. Notably, this was the first American government property in another country. The strength of this bilateral relationship was evident throughout the 20th century. During the Second World War, Morocco became a key location for Operation Torch and the Casablanca Conference, which were part of the Allied efforts to prevent the spread of Axis influence in North Africa. The US also supported Moroccan independence from France, laying the groundwork for future ties. After Morocco gained its independence in 1956, the US swiftly recognized the new state and deepened existing diplomatic, security and economic cooperation. Morocco has long been a favored investment destination for the US Zaid M. Belbagi During the Cold War, Morocco was officially nonaligned but effectively served as a reliable American ally against the spread of communism in North Africa. King Hassan II played a moderate role in Arab politics and fostered close relations with Washington during this period. Morocco allowed American forces transit and access rights to Moroccan air bases, and the Kingdom received more than $400 million in US aid between 1957 and 1963. For decades, through its economic and military aid, the US indirectly supported Morocco's claim over Western Sahara. Building on this strong foundation, the bilateral relationship continued to evolve in the late 20th century with a focus on diplomatic and counterterrorism cooperation. This period was marked by several notable, high-level visits such as King Mohammed V's meeting in Washington with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957, and Vice President Richard Nixon's visit to Morocco the same year. The next monarch of Morocco, King Hassan II, visited six American presidents during his reign. Morocco became a natural partner for peace and prosperity for the US, given the country's position as a gateway to Africa and the Middle East, its proximity to Europe, and its domestic stability. In recognition of Morocco's commitment to regional stability and security, in 2004 the US designated the country a major non-NATO ally. Decades-old bilateral counterterrorism cooperation includes intelligence sharing, regional security initiatives such as the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, and joint military exercises such as the annual African Lion. Morocco's efforts to tackle radicalization and violent extremism align with American goals in the region. Economic and trade relations are another cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, with a free trade agreement signed in 2006 to mark these ties. The two countries exchanged more than $7 billion in trade in 2024, a 37 percent increase over the previous year. Fertilizers, vehicles and agricultural products are among the main traded items. Trump's recent tariffs announcement imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on Morocco. Though a challenge for bilateral trade, it was one of the lowest rates in North Africa and might allow Morocco to find growth opportunities while other partners in the region, and in Asia, are facing significantly higher tariffs. Morocco has long been a favored investment destination for the US, which accounts for more than 30 percent of all foreign investment in the country, worth more than $750 million. Nearly 120 American companies operate in Morocco, with manufacturing, real estate, telecommunications, tourism and energy some of the key areas of interest for investment. There has also been substantial American investment in the automotive and vehicles industry in the country, such as an expansion by the Lear Corporation. Aerospace majors such as Boeing have also made significant inroads in the Moroccan market. All of this clearly indicates that Morocco's strong investment climate provides opportunities for American companies. As an acknowledgment of Western Sahara's geostrategic location and its potential for opening up trade with Africa, the US is keen to invest in Dakhla and the wider region. In 2022, Danforth Investors, Global Special Projects and SEC Newgate US signed two memorandums of understanding with the Council of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region to promote American investment in Dakhla. With continual expansion in several areas, the relationship between the US and Morocco remains robust, more than two centuries after its genesis. It will continue to grow, thanks to new programs such as King Mohammed VI's Atlantic Initiative, which aims to provide landlocked Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean through Moroccan infrastructure. American investment will provide significant support for the execution of this vision. There is also strong potential for collaboration in emerging industries such as renewable and green energy, digital infrastructure and space technology. When Trump was elected president for the first time, Morocco's central role in regional peace was acknowledged through the Abraham Accords. Rubio's recent reaffirmation of this sentiment bodes well for the future of US-Morocco ties in a time of global political uncertainty and an increasing American withdrawal from the Global South. Morocco therefore remains a vital and time-tested strategic partner for the US, due to its domestic stability, geographic location and commitment to counterterrorism. As a gateway to trade and diplomacy with Africa, Europe and the Middle East, it can be a lucrative pillar for the US in the new world order. • Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council. X: @Moulay_Zaid
