Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, basis for Sahara talks- UN Envoy says

In his first public statement since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara made it clear that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the basis of talks between the parties: Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario, and Mauritania.

De Mistura confirmed a significant shift in the diplomatic framework surrounding the long-standing regional dispute with the autonomy proposal, submitted by Morocco in 2007, as the foundational reference for future negotiations.

Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31 and spearheaded by the United States, was hailed as historic for its clear endorsement of the autonomy initiative as the only “realistic, serious, and credible” basis for a lasting political solution.

The resolution received broad support within the Security Council and marks a turning point in UN diplomacy on the Sahara issue.

During the press briefing, de Mistura outlined the new negotiation framework which considers Algeria as a main party to the dispute, ending decades of ambiguity and aligning with the language of Resolution 2797, which calls for the engagement of “all parties” in the political process.

“We will of course, as indicated in Resolution 2797, take the Moroccan autonomy plan of 2007 as the basis for these negotiations,” de Mistura stated, signaling a departure from previous approaches that treated multiple proposals equally.

He also confirmed that Morocco would present an updated version of the plan, referencing both his October 2024 briefing to the Security Council and a recent speech by King Mohammed VI.

In his October 31 address, King Mohammed VI announced that Morocco would soon submit a revised and detailed autonomy proposal to the United Nations, reaffirming its position as the sole viable framework for negotiations.

“As a realistic and applicable solution, it must constitute the only basis for negotiation,” the monarch declared.

De Mistura emphasized that the UN’s role is evolving from facilitating dialogue between opposing positions to structuring a process around a single, adaptable, and realistic proposal.

De Mistura, however, invited the parties to submit concrete proposals in an approach aiming to ensure that all parties, including Algeria, feel included without diluting the central framework.