After 35 years of failed efforts to organise an independence referendum in Western Sahara, the United States is pushing for a change in approach, seeking to replace the long-running process with Morocco’s autonomy plan despite opposition from neighbouring Algeria.
Washington’s proposal, reported on October 22, 2026, seeks to shift negotiations towards self-government under Moroccan sovereignty rather than a referendum offering independence.
The initiative comes ahead of a UN Security Council review of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), whose mandate expires on October 31.
Kaynak: Business Insider Africa