Morocco denounces Algeria’s obstruction of Sahara political process and threat to regional stability

On June 11, 2025, Morocco condemned Algeria before the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonization (C24), accusing it of hijacking the political process regarding the Moroccan Sahara to the detriment of regional stability.

Morocco’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Majda Moutchou, stated that the political process under the UN Secretary-General’s auspices cannot be held hostage by one country’s intransigence. She criticized Algeria for exploiting the issue for political and hegemonic purposes.

She said Algeria, while claiming to support self-determination, blocks all realistic solutions and fuels separatism. At the same time, it remains silent on other decolonization issues, revealing its true destabilizing motives in the region.

Moutchou emphasized the international momentum around Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative, introduced in 2007. Supported by over 118 countries, including three permanent Security Council members and the region’s former colonial power, it offers a pragmatic and lasting solution.

She criticized the C24 for continuing to frame the Sahara issue as a decolonization matter, ignoring the legal and political evolution of the dossier. She recalled that UN resolution 1541 recognizes autonomy as a legitimate form of self-determination.

According to Moutchou, this autonomy is supported by the people of the Moroccan Sahara, as evidenced by their active electoral participation and engagement in regional development—clear indicators of their allegiance to Morocco’s sovereignty.

She urged the Committee to align with the UN Security Council’s approach and support a realistic solution based on autonomy, stressing that only this framework can lead to a lasting political resolution in accordance with UN principles and international law.