Rabat – The US State Department has reiterated that the country’s position on Western Sahara remains unchanged, stressing that it continues to view Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a “serious, credible, and realistic” basis to end the dispute.
The State Department emphasized its position in a new statement on Sunday, when it also confirmed that Deputy Assistant Secretary Joshua Harris will be carrying out a visit to Morocco on December 17-18 to hold consultation meetings on the Sahara dispute as well as events unfolding in Gaza.
“The United States continues to view Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as serious, credible, and realistic, and one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara,” the State Department said in the press release.
The statement stressed that Harris’ visit comes to reiterate that “there is no change in the clear and consistent U.S. position.”
“The United States fully supports UN Personal Envoy de Mistura in facilitating the negotiations process to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution for Western Sahara,” the State Department added.
Emphasizing the need to proceed with the UN-led political process with no further delay, the State Department also reiterated that all parties to the dispute need to engage in the process in a “spirit of realism and compromise.”
“The outcome of UN-led negotiations – mutually agreed by the parties and reflecting their commitment to UN efforts in a spirit of realism and compromise – would constitute the final resolution to this issue,” the press release added.
The statement is yet another one urging Algeria to engage in the UN-led political process as a main party to the dispute.
For decades, Algeria has attempted to disassociate itself from its role in the dispute, claiming to be merely an observer in the territorial conflict.
The Algerian regime also continues to refuse to take part in UN-sponsored roundtable discussions, which seek to speed up the search for a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the dispute.
Algeria’s reluctance comes despite its unwavering support for Polisario Front, a separatist group that the Algerian regime hosts, finances, and arms.
This is not the first time that the US or the UN calls on Algeria to shoulder its responsibility in the dispute.
Last week, Harris also visited Algeria as part of his regional trip to discuss the Western Sahara dispute.
During an interview published by the US embassy in Algiers, the US official recalled the security council’s resolutions that emphasized the importance of involving all parties to the Western Sahara dispute in the UN-led political process.
“The same type of efforts that led to unsuccessful political processes in years past are not likely to yield results. That is why the Security Council has spoken very clearly about creating the spirit of realism and compromise, and the importance of all concerned expanding on their position,” he said in the interview.
