The United States expressed support on Thursday for investments in disputed Western Sahara, a region Morocco claims as its own. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington will back American companies seeking to invest and conduct business in the territory.
The announcement followed talks with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, highlighting deepening economic ties between the two nations amid ongoing tensions. Morocco has expanded infrastructure projects in Western Sahara, including roads, renewable energy, phosphate mining, and a $1 billion port development.
The North African kingdom enjoys a free trade agreement with the U.S., benefiting from the lowest reciprocal tariff rate of 10 percent. President Donald Trump in July reaffirmed support for Morocco’s sovereignty and promoted its autonomy plan as the only viable solution for the region.
France has similarly recognised Rabat’s sovereignty, allowing investments to flow into the contested territory under its autonomy framework. In June, the United Kingdom joined as the third Security Council member backing Moroccan-led autonomy, rejecting full independence as an option.
Algeria and the Polisario Front condemned Western support for the autonomy plan, insisting any settlement must include an independence referendum. The United Nations described the Western Sahara conflict as low-intensity, urging negotiations to achieve a political and mutually acceptable resolution.
The dispute, frozen for decades, remains a delicate geopolitical issue, balancing economic opportunity against longstanding claims for self-determination.