Joshua Harris, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North Africa, visited Morocco to hold various meetings with senior Moroccan officials with the Western Sahara issue as one of the important issues to be discussed. Among the scheduled appointments is a meeting with Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The American official was already at the Tindouf camp in Algeria on Friday for talks with Polisario Front officials and Algerian officials. and to verify the situation of the Saharawi refugees there, who live in difficult conditions, and also to demonstrate US support for a political solution to the Western Sahara conflict based on United Nations (UN) resolutions. .

Appropriately, Various entities such as the Sahrawi Peace Movement, the Sahrawi Canary Forum or Africa Watch have denounced the Polisario Front and Algeria, which is responsible for these refugee settlements, for committing violations against various Sahrawi citizens. who are going through a complicated situation.

“My aim in visiting Tindouf is to express the sincerity of my Government’s commitment to supporting the UN political process to achieve a permanent and dignified political solution in Western Sahara”, said Joshua Harris. The US official met with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Algerian Communities Abroad, Lounes Magramane, to discuss expected support for UN efforts to reach a political solution based on “realism and a spirit of commitment.”

The delegation led by Joshua Harris also emphasized that the success of the political peace process and resolution of the Saharawi conflict depends on a series of conditions, including a ceasefire in the region. In this way, the Polisario Front is expected to accept a ceasefire and cessation of any military activity.

The position of the United States is very important because the North American giant recognized the identity of the Moroccan Sahara in December 2020. thanks to the mediation of the Donald Trump administration in the past, following in the footsteps of the Abraham Accords, through which various Arab countries established diplomatic relations with Israel to calm and develop the Middle East region. Furthermore, Joe Biden’s current Executive maintains the same stance and also strongly supports efforts to support dialogue for all parties involved led by Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy for Western Sahara.

The diplomatic mission represented by Joshua Harris is focused primarily on regional security issues to seek to promote peace in the North African region and highlight the United States’ commitment to the UN-led political process regarding the Western Sahara dispute. as the US State Department indicated in its official note.

“Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Joshua Harris arrived in Morocco to meet with Moroccan government officials, including Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, to discuss progress on peace, prosperity and security in the region,” as communicated via social networks by the Office of Near Eastern Affairs of the US Department of State.

Harris’ visit to Morocco and Algeria coincided with a tour undertaken by Staffan de Mistura himself through key enclaves around Morocco’s southern provinces such as Dakhla and El Aaiún, with whom all parties involved had been in contact. these issues to encourage dialogue and understanding. The UN Secretary General’s personal envoy to Western Sahara has maintained contacts with the parties involved, including Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and members of the so-called “Group of Friends”, including Spain, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and France, seeking a resolution to the problem which exists.

The United States and its support for Morocco’s proposals regarding the Sahara

Joshua Harris’s tour through Algeria and Morocco highlights the importance of the United States’ attachment to the Maghreb region and, most importantly, to the issue of Western Sahara. In this regard, the North American giant supports the Moroccan kingdom’s proposal for Western Sahara under Donald Trump’s presidential mandate. A position that has not changed with the new Joe Biden administration.

Morocco considers Western Sahara part of its southern territory and proposed a formula of broad autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty to resolve the Saharawi dispute and develop the region as fully as possible. Under this formulation, the Sahrawis would have a large capacity for self-government, giving security and foreign policy authority to the Moroccan State.

This North African country has received support from important countries such as the United States, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Germany and Spain. who consider their initiative to be the most serious, credible and realistic initiative to resolve the Western Sahara problem.

Besides that, The Polisario Front proposed holding a referendum on the independence of the Sahrawi population, which lacked international support and was difficult to implement., as various analysts have pointed out. The biggest support of the polisaria organization is Algeria, Morocco’s big political rival, with which they broke off diplomatic relations in August 2021 stating that they had suffered “hostile acts” from the Moroccan kingdom, although they had always reached out to the King. Morocco’s Mohamed VI has ordered to improve relations between the two neighboring countries.

American Coordinator: Jose Antonio Sierra.

Read more