The United States said it convened rare talks between rivals Morocco and Algeria over the future of Western Sahara, as the Trump administration seeks to revive efforts to resolve one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes.
Senior delegations from the United States and the United Nations facilitated discussions in Madrid with Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front.
The talks focused on the implementation of a recent United Nations Security Council resolution on Western Sahara, the statement said.
The vast, resource-rich Atlantic territory is claimed by Morocco, while neighbouring Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which has waged a decades-long campaign for the region’s independence, according to Bloomberg.
The dispute is one of Africa’s longest-running and most complex territorial conflicts. Morocco and Algeria cut diplomatic ties in 2021 amid rising tensions, including over Western Sahara and Morocco’s decision to normalise relations with Israel.
Western Sahara, roughly the size of the United Kingdom, has remained disputed since the Cold War era. Morocco annexed the territory after Spain withdrew in 1975, and fighting between Moroccan forces and Polisario killed about 9,000 people over 16 years.
A ceasefire that largely held for three decades collapsed in late 2020, raising concerns about renewed conflict.
The dispute has also drawn in external powers, with countries backing opposing sides. France, in July 2024, publicly supported Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over Western Sahara, a position opposed by Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front. Ghana and the United Kingdom have also voiced support for Morocco’s position.
- Business Insider Africa