The UK has thrown its weight behind Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, marking a shift in Britain’s position on one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes.
Speaking during a visit to Rabat on Sunday, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, said Britain considered Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal “the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis” for resolving the dispute.
The UK has previously said the status of the disputed territory in north-west Africa remains “undetermined”, while supporting “self-determination” for “the people of Western Sahara”.
The disputed region has a population of about 600,000 people, and is considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN. While Morocco controls most of the territory, the Algerian-backed Polisario Front controls land in the east of the territory and wants full independence from Rabat.
Under Morocco’s autonomy plan, Western Sahara would remain under Rabat’s sovereignty but with a degree of self-rule.
The US recognised Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in 2020 during Trump’s first administration. France followed suit last year, along with Spain in 2021.
“The UK will continue to act bilaterally, including economically, regionally and internationally in line with this position to support the resolution of the conflict,” Lammy said after talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.
The region has been contested since 1975, when Spain withdrew from its former colony, sparking a conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front.
A UN-brokered ceasefire was reached in 1991, with promises of a referendum on the territory’s future that has never materialised.
Talks have since stalled, and in 2020 the Polisario declared the truce over, accusing Morocco of violating its terms.
Algeria, a key regional player, has previously criticised Rabat’s plan and US support for the proposals.
Bourita described the UK’s endorsement as part of “a momentum to speed up the solution of the conflict”. He said British investments in Western Sahara were under discussion. The two countries also signed cooperation deals on healthcare, innovation, ports, water infrastructure and procurement.
Lammy said the partnerships would allow “British businesses to score big on football’s biggest stage”, a reference to Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
The UN still officially supports a negotiated solution that would allow the people of Western Sahara to decide whether to become independent or remain part of Morocco.
