US hosts Western Sahara talks with regional parties in Madrid

MADRID, Spain (MNTV) — The United States said it facilitated recent talks in Madrid involving Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania as part of efforts linked to a United Nations Security Council initiative on Western Sahara.

In a statement on social media, the US mission to the United Nations said senior US and UN delegations convened representatives from the four parties to discuss implementation of Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted in 2025. 

The resolution renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and reaffirmed support for a UN-led political process aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable political settlement.

The US mission did not disclose further details of the discussions. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the meeting, saying a senior UN delegation led by Western Sahara envoy Staffan de Mistura attended alongside US officials.

The meeting marked the first such talks since negotiations held in Geneva in 2019. Algerian media later said the parties reviewed bilateral cooperation and explored opportunities in energy, trade, investment, transport, and judicial and consular cooperation.

Morocco and Algeria have kept their land border closed since 1994 amid political tensions, most notably over the Western Sahara dispute. Observers in both countries are closely monitoring the US initiative, which some hope could ease long-standing diplomatic tensions.

Separately, media reports said high-level delegations led by foreign ministers from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front met at the US Embassy in Madrid in what was initially intended to remain confidential. 

The meeting was reportedly overseen by Massad Boulos, a senior US adviser on African affairs, and US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.

According to Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero, the talks focused on Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, which was supported by a US-backed UN Security Council resolution last year. 

The Polisario Front has rejected the plan and continues to demand a self-determination referendum, a position backed by Algeria, which hosts Sahrawi refugees.

Reports said the US had asked Morocco to substantially revise its autonomy proposal, expanding it into a detailed document for negotiations. The Madrid meeting followed an earlier round of confidential talks in Washington in late January.

The Western Sahara conflict dates back to 1975, when Spain ended colonial rule, triggering an armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front that ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. 

Morocco currently controls most of the territory and proposes autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front advocates independence through a referendum.

The territory is listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory and is often described as Africa’s last colony. Sahrawi activists have reported repression in Moroccan-controlled areas, while large refugee populations in Algeria remain dependent on international aid.

The United States has ruled out supporting a referendum on independence and previously recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory in exchange for diplomatic normalization between Morocco and Israel. 

Morocco is also a major purchaser of US military equipment in Africa, with contracts valued at about $8.5 billion in 2025, according to US government data.

France and Spain have recently expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, aligning with Washington’s position. US officials have described resolving the Western Sahara issue as a strategic priority, signaling increased diplomatic engagement in the long-running dispute.