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Under growing international pressure ahead of what diplomats are calling a “historic vote” at the United Nations Security Council later this month, Algeria and its backed separatist group, the Polisario Front, are making last-ditch efforts to appear flexible in the face of shifting global dynamics. The move comes as the international consensus increasingly favors Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only viable path to resolving the long-standing Western Sahara dispute.
In a move widely interpreted as a desperate attempt to regain diplomatic relevance, the Polisario Front has unveiled what it describes as an “expanded proposal” for a political solution to the conflict. However, observers note that the announcement lacks substance and fails to break from the group’s decades-long insistence on a United Nations-supervised referendum—an approach widely viewed as outdated and no longer feasible.
Diplomatic sources in New York have leaked details indicating that a new draft resolution, authored by the United States, will formally recognize Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the sole credible framework for a lasting settlement in Western Sahara. The resolution is expected to pass with the support of key permanent members of the Security Council—including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Spain has also publicly thrown its support behind the Moroccan proposal, and even traditionally reserved powers such as Russia and China have shown signs of openness to discussions based on Morocco’s plan.
In a revealing development, former U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, speaking in a joint interview with Jared Kushner, disclosed that Washington is actively working on a peace agreement between Morocco and Algeria. This deal would aim to reduce decades of tension and promote regional economic integration—a move that could fundamentally reshape North African geopolitics.
These diplomatic efforts coincide with significant structural changes at the UN. Leaked documents indicate that the upcoming Security Council resolution will not only endorse Morocco’s autonomy plan but also shorten the mandate of MINURSO—the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara—from an open-ended deployment to a focused three-month timeframe. This shift signals a move toward a results-driven approach and a winding down of the status quo.
Algeria, increasingly isolated on the global stage, continues to support the Polisario Front while denouncing what President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has labeled as “imposed solutions.” Despite this rhetoric, Algeria faces diminishing international backing and mounting criticism for its role in sustaining regional instability through its support for armed proxies, including the Polisario and various groups in the Sahel.
The Polisario’s latest communiqué, curiously not published through its official channels, fails to introduce any meaningful alternatives. Instead, it reiterates outdated demands for a referendum and offers vague references to “strategic relations” with Morocco—language analysts say is intentionally ambiguous and devoid of actionable policy.
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Experts interpret this sudden burst of activity from Algeria and the Polisario as a calculated but superficial maneuver aimed at obscuring the reality that they are rapidly losing diplomatic ground. With the momentum now firmly behind Morocco’s autonomy initiative and the UN poised to solidify this path, Algeria and its allies appear cornered and increasingly irrelevant in the evolving diplomatic landscape.
