In a diplomatic twist that’s sending tremors across North Africa, the United Kingdom has thrown its weight behind Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara—a disputed territory long considered one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. The move places London squarely in the same camp as Washington and Paris, and squarely at odds with Algeria.
The announcement, made by the UK’s Foreign Secretary during a joint press conference in Rabat, marks a significant policy shift for Britain, which had previously remained neutral on the territorial dispute. The UK now supports Morocco’s 2007 autonomy initiative as a “serious and credible” basis for resolving the conflict—diplomatic language widely interpreted as tacit recognition of Moroccan sovereignty.
For Morocco, this is a major diplomatic win. “The UK’s support is another endorsement of our commitment to regional stability and development,” declared Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, adding that the Western Sahara issue should no longer be a “question of decolonization,” but one of “realistic autonomy.”
To understand why this matters, a quick refresher: Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until 1975. When Spain pulled out, Morocco swiftly annexed most of the territory, prompting armed resistance from the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist group backed by Algeria. The ensuing war ended in 1991 with a UN-brokered ceasefire, but not a final status agreement. Since then, the region has existed in limbo: partially occupied, sparsely populated, but rich in phosphate and strategically located along Africa’s Atlantic coast.
The UK’s endorsement now adds new fuel to the geopolitical fire. Algeria, which backs the Polisario’s demand for a referendum on independence, has reacted with expected fury. Its foreign ministry accused Britain of “undermining international law” and “violating the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.” It also hinted at reassessing bilateral ties with London.
Algerian state media went further, characterizing the British move as “neo-imperial posturing in the service of resource-hungry allies.” This statement barely conceals Algiers’ suspicion that the West’s warming toward Rabat is less about peace and more about natural gas and mining rights—not to mention the strategic use of Moroccan ports as logistics hubs for NATO-aligned interests in West Africa.
Experts suggest the UK’s decision may also be linked to post-Brexit foreign policy recalibration. “Britain is searching for new strategic partners and trade agreements, especially in the Global South,” says Dr. Nabila Kharroubi, a political scientist at the University of Algiers. “Backing Morocco on this issue offers leverage for defense cooperation and economic access to the Maghreb.”
There’s also a ripple effect across Africa. South Africa, a staunch supporter of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), has condemned the UK’s move, warning that it may embolden other colonial-style land grabs. Meanwhile, the African Union remains split: many member states recognize the SADR, but others—particularly in West Africa—have aligned with Morocco due to economic and religious ties.
Then there’s the UN, whose 1991 peace plan includes a long-delayed referendum. Successive envoys have failed to break the deadlock. While the UK insists its position “supports UN efforts,” critics argue it undermines them by prejudging the outcome.
Yet for all the geopolitical noise, voices from the ground remain faint. In Laayoune and Dakhla—two major towns in the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara—protests are rare, in part due to tight security. But reports from exile communities in Tindouf and Europe tell a different story. “The British government has betrayed international law and the Sahrawi people,” said Mohamed Sidati, a senior Polisario diplomat. “We will not abandon our legitimate struggle.”
So what now? The shift could embolden Morocco to press for more formal recognition of its claim—perhaps at the UN. It may also motivate hesitant countries to drop neutrality and pick sides. For the Sahrawi cause, it’s yet another diplomatic blow in a long campaign of diminishing returns.
As the Maghreb reorients, one thing is clear: London’s endorsement has redrawn the diplomatic map. Whether that redraws borders remains to be seen. But in the power chessboard of North Africa, Britain has moved a knight—and left a few kings sweating.
