The US has reportedly invited the parties to the Sahara conflict to a new round of talks on Feb 23-24 to speed up a solution based on Morocco’s autonomy plan, Moroccan and Spanish media reported.
The US has organized talks earlier this month in Madrid attended by UN envoy Stafan de Mistura and the main parties Morocco and Algeria together with representatives of the Polisario and Mauritania.
In interviews, including with Deutsche Welle, Donald Trump’s envoy for Africa, Massad Boulos had reiterated Washington’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory and its backing for Rabat’s autonomy plan.
Boulos said he was “optimistic” about securing a breakthrough before the summer, framing the new phase as a decisive window to resolve a conflict stalled for decades.
The Trump administration-facilitated talks mark the most important moment in the process since negotiations collapsed in 2019 and come after the UN Security Council resolution 2797 urging parties to negotiate on the basis of the autonomy plan.
Moroccan media said a detailed version of Morocco’s autonomy plan was presented in Madrid.
The US posture reflects growing impatience with Algeria’s longstanding refusal to participate constructively, noting that Washington has now insisted Algiers assume its responsibilities rather than maintain its decades-old claim of being merely an observer.
The Madrid meeting was also notable for marking Algeria’s return to multilateral talks after years of boycotting UN-led roundtables.
Meanwhile in Washington, momentum is also building in Congress to confront the Polisario Front through legislative action due to concerns at its ties with Iran and terrorist groups.
In the House of Representatives, Congressman Joe Wilson has introduced H.R. 4119, the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored with Democrat Jimmy Panetta that seeks to label the Polisario as a foreign terrorist organization, citing its backing from Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, as well as intelligence reports on drone training and militant cooperation in the Sahel.
In the Senate, Ted Cruz is preparing a parallel initiative, having criticized US officials for avoiding explicit mention of the Polisario’s terror links and stating he has drafted a bill to designate the group as a terrorist organization.
