The United States has facilitated rare diplomatic talks between long-time rivals Morocco and Algeria over the future of Western Sahara, signaling renewed efforts by the Trump administration to address one of Africa’s most enduring territorial disputes.
According to a statement, senior representatives from the United States and the United Nations convened discussions in Madrid involving Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front.
The talks were anchored on provisions outlined in a recent United Nations Security Council resolution on Western Sahara.
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Western Sahara, a vast and strategically important Atlantic territory rich in natural resources, is claimed by Morocco.
Algeria, however, supports the Polisario Front, which has led a decades-long struggle for the region’s independence.
The dispute remains one of the continent’s longest-running and most complex conflicts.
Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria were severed in 2021 amid escalating tensions tied to Western Sahara and Morocco’s decision to normalise ties with Israel.
The territory, roughly the size of the United Kingdom, has been contested since Spain withdrew in 1975.
Morocco subsequently annexed the region, triggering a 16-year armed conflict with the Polisario Front that reportedly claimed about 9,000 lives.
Although a ceasefire held for nearly three decades, it collapsed in late 2020, heightening fears of renewed hostilities.
The Western Sahara conflict has also drawn in international actors backing opposing sides.
France publicly declared its support for Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the territory in July 2024, a stance rejected by Algeria.
AGhana and the United Kingdom have similarly expressed support for Morocco’s position.
The latest talks underscore growing diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions and revive momentum toward a negotiated settlement of the long-standing dispute.
