The US reaffirmed on Thursday that there was “no change” in its position regarding “recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara”.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price told in a press conference that the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara “will remain the position of President Joe Biden’s administration,”.
“There is no change” on this issue, he further asserted, on the clear continuation of the position of the United States.
On December 10, former US President Donald Trump had announced the US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara region and the opening of an American consulate in the city of Dakhla in the disputed region between Rabat and the Polisario Front.
The conflict between Morocco and the “Polisario” over the Western Sahara region has been ongoing since 1975. The dispute began after the end of the Spanish control over the region.
The conflict turned into an armed confrontation, which lasted until 1991, and ended with the signing of a ceasefire agreement, which saw Guerguerat become defined as a demilitarized zone.
Rabat insists on its right to the Western Sahara region and proposes extended autonomy under its sovereignty, while the “Polisario” calls for a referendum to determine the fate of the region, a proposal supported by Algeria, which welcomes refugees from the contested region.
On October 30, the UN Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for a period of one year, until October 31, 2021.
