US President Donald Trump has reiterated his support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying that the Moroccan plan for autonomy for the territory is the only solution for the disputed region, Moroccan state news agency MAP reported.
The long-running conflict pits Morocco, which claims the territory, against the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which seeks to establish an independent state there, Reuters recalls. Late in his first term, Trump recognized Rabat's claim to Western Sahara, which has phosphate deposits and rich fishing grounds, as part of a deal in which the country agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
His Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear in April that support for Morocco on the issue remained U.S. policy, but these were Trump's first quoted comments on the dispute during his second term.
"I reiterate that the United States recognizes Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic offer of autonomy as the only basis for a just and lasting resolution to the dispute," Trump said in a message to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, sent on the anniversary of his accession to the throne.
"Together, we are advancing shared priorities for peace and security in the region, including by building on the Abraham Accords, combating terrorism, and expanding trade. cooperation," Trump added.
"I look forward to continuing our cooperation to promote regional stability, prosperity and peace," the US president stressed.
Under the Abraham Accords, signed during Trump's first term, four predominantly Muslim countries agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel after US mediation.
Algeria, which has recognized the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Republic, has refused to participate in the round tables convened by the UN envoy to Western Sahara and is insisting on a referendum.