NEW YORK (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – The United Nations provided details of the discussions held in Washington earlier this week regarding Morocco’s proposed autonomy plan for the Sahara. More information is now available on the new round of negotiations on the Sahara held in Washington. During a press briefing yesterday in New York, UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson, noted that the discussions took place on Monday, February 23rd, and Tuesday, February 24th, “in close cooperation with the United States.”
Describing the resumption of talks as “encouraging,” the UN spokesperson noted that “the negotiations have given rise to in-depth discussions, based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2797.” He emphasized, however, that “much work remains to be done,” particularly “on the key issue of the self-determination of the Saharawi people, in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict.”
The Washington negotiations are co-chaired by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, with the participation of US President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos.
Conducted with the utmost discretion, the negotiations are based on Resolution 2797, adopted by the Security Council on October 31, 2025, at the initiative of the United States. This text provides, for the first time at the highest UN level, explicit support for the Moroccan autonomy plan as the basis for a negotiated solution to the Sahara dispute.
Prior to the Washington round, the parties involved in the Sahara issue met on February 8 and 9 at the United States Embassy in Madrid. The discussions, co-sponsored by the United States and the United Nations, brought together Foreign Ministers Nasser Bourita of Morocco, Ahmed Attaf of Algeria, and Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug of Mauritania, as well as the representative of the Polisario Front (Mohamed Yeslem Beissat).
According to sources, the Moroccan foreign minister presented a 40-page document in Madrid outlining a broader vision for developing Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the Sahara. It is recalled that King Mohammed VI announced, following the adoption of Resolution 2797, the preparation of an updated and detailed version of the autonomy initiative to be submitted to the United Nations. To this end, consultations with political parties were held on November 10, 2025, under the supervision of royal advisors and members of the government.
In a recent interview with France 24, Massad Boulos stated that the United States attaches “great importance” to resolving the Sahara conflict, while stressing that ongoing negotiations “will not continue indefinitely.”
The American envoy also indicated that President Trump “pays particular attention to this conflict that has lasted more than half a century,” believing that the time has come to move toward a solution. In this sense, the United States and the United Nations have a responsibility to work with the parties concerned, within the framework of the Security Council resolution, to facilitate a lasting political solution, he added.
Regarding the United States’ position, Boulos reiterated that Washington remains “firm” in its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, describing this position as “superior to the framework of the UN resolution,” while emphasizing that current diplomatic efforts are consistent with the UN process.
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