US President Donald Trump has reignited one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes by reaffirming US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a position that remains fiercely contested internationally.
In a message to Mohammed VI marking Morocco’s 27th Throne Day celebrations, Trump said Washington’s position was unequivocal.
“The United States is clear: we recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, and we support Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a solution,” Trump said in a message to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
The statement, released by Morocco’s Royal Office, reinforces the policy first adopted during Trump’s first term in 2020, when the US became the first major Western power to recognise Morocco’s claim over the disputed territory.
Trump also rejected alternative proposals to resolve the decades-old conflict.
“Any other approach perpetuates the status quo, and that is unacceptable. This dispute must come to an end now,” he said.
Western Sahara remains one of the world’s most disputed territories. Morocco controls about 80% of the region, while the Polisario Front administers parts of the eastern desert and continues to demand a UN-backed referendum on self-determination.
The United Nations still classifies Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and has not recognised Moroccan sovereignty. Instead, it continues to back negotiations aimed at securing a mutually acceptable political settlement.
Morocco argues that its autonomy plan, which would grant Western Sahara self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty, offers the only realistic path to peace. The Polisario Front insists that full independence must remain on the table.
Beyond the territorial dispute, Trump hailed Morocco as a key US ally, describing King Mohammed VI’s leadership as “a pillar of stability”.
He also praised the country’s role in regional security, counterterrorism, and the Abraham Accords.
Trump said he had instructed his administration to pursue new development projects with Morocco, including in Western Sahara, and pledged continued US investment in artificial intelligence, energy, defence, and critical minerals. – Wires