Former US President Trump in the dying days of his presidency recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, with a Moroccan peace deal with Israel the quid pro quo (MEES, 11 December 2020). With Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita visiting Washington this week, secretary of state Antony Blinken effectively confirmed that the Biden administration is committed to the highly contentious deal, which undermines international calls for Western Sahara self-determination.
The 22 November meeting saw Mr Blinken and his Moroccan counterpart “hail the upcoming first anniversary of the Joint Declaration among Morocco, Israel, and the United States,” according to the US state department’s official release. Mr Blinken added that the US “view[s] Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible, and realistic, and one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.” (CONTINUED - 209 WORDS)