Algeria has expressed strong criticism of the United States following Washington’s reaffirmation of support for Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara — a contested territory that has been at the centre of a decades-long dispute between Rabat and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
During a meeting in Washington on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated to Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita that the United States recognises Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
He also reaffirmed support for Rabat’s autonomy plan, describing it as “serious, credible, and realistic” and the only viable solution to resolving the territorial conflict.
In response, Algeria’s foreign ministry released a statement on Wednesday, April 9, voicing disappointment in the US stance, particularly given Washington’s status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The statement noted that such a position from a country “normally expected to demonstrate respect for international legality in general, and for UN Security Council resolutions in particular” undermines the legitimacy of international efforts to resolve the issue.
The United Nations continues to regard Western Sahara as a “non-self-governing territory” and has maintained a peacekeeping mission in the region since 1991. That mission’s stated goal is to organise a referendum that would allow the people of Western Sahara to determine their future — a plan long championed by the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the region.
Morocco, which controls the majority of the territory, has consistently ruled out the possibility of an independence referendum. Instead, it proposes autonomy for the region under Moroccan sovereignty.
Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have remained high in recent years, with Algiers severing diplomatic ties with Rabat in 2021 over a series of political and regional disputes, including the Western Sahara issue.
