Belgium on Thursday endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the preferred route to resolve the decades-old Western Sahara dispute, according to a joint declaration signed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot in Brussels.
The conflict, which has simmered since 1975, pits Morocco—claiming the territory as its own—against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state. Belgium described autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as “the most adequate, serious, credible and realistic basis” for a political settlement.
Rabat’s plan already has support from the United States, France and the United Kingdom at the U.N. Security Council. Spain, the former colonial power, has also swung behind Rabat, while Germany and Portugal have signaled support—marking a broader shift among EU members.
The European Union as a bloc has not backed the autonomy blueprint, maintaining support for U.N.-led efforts toward a negotiated solution. Algeria and the Polisario have condemned Western endorsements of the plan and continue to demand a referendum that includes an independence option.
The U.N. has urged the parties to return to talks and reach a mutually acceptable resolution to the low-intensity conflict.