U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, revealed that Washington is actively working to achieve a peace agreement between Morocco and Algeria within 60 days, in what could mark a major diplomatic breakthrough in North Africa.
Speaking in a detailed interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” aired Sunday evening, Witkoff said his team “is currently working on Algeria and Morocco,” expressing confidence that a peace deal could be finalized within two months. He noted that the initiative builds on the momentum of the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, describing peace in the region as “contagious” and saying that “the Middle East and North Africa are entering a new era of reshaped relations.”
The remarks, made alongside Jared Kushner, carry strong political significance, suggesting a renewed U.S. mediation role between Rabat and Algiers. The timing coincides with the United Nations Security Council’s upcoming session to vote on a new U.S.-drafted resolution on the Sahara, described by diplomatic sources as the most ambitious proposal since the conflict began nearly 50 years ago.
According to details from the draft resolution, the U.S. text sets a clear deadline of January 31, 2026, to reach a mutually acceptable political solution, and calls for renewed negotiations based on Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative — which it describes as “the most realistic and credible framework” — while maintaining the principle of self-determination.
Observers note that Witkoff’s timeline for achieving peace between Morocco and Algeria appears aligned with the U.S. diplomatic calendar at the UN, and could be part of a broader effort to unlock the long-stalled North African dispute.
In a related development, Mossad Boulos, Senior Advisor to President Trump for Arab and African Affairs, said in a separate interview from Sharm El-Sheikh that the U.S. plans to open a consulate soon in the Moroccan Sahara, stressing that “this is Moroccan Sahara,” and describing the upcoming Security Council vote as “a step in the right direction toward a lasting solution.”
The American initiative reflects a revival of the Trump administration’s regional peace-building strategy, modeled after the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.
France and the United Kingdom have both maintained that Morocco’s autonomy plan is the most credible and serious basis for resolving the Sahara conflict, while Spain continues to pursue a pragmatic diplomatic approach since Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s 2022 endorsement of the Moroccan plan, despite ongoing efforts to ease tensions with Algeria.
Although neither Rabat nor Algiers has officially confirmed the reported U.S. mediation, Witkoff’s statement is seen as a signal of growing de-escalation efforts in the region, amid reports of backchannel communications aimed at reviving relations severed since 2021.
Analysts believe that if Witkoff’s 60-day goal materializes, it could open a historic chapter in Maghreb diplomacy, potentially paving the way for regional reconciliation, economic cooperation, and broader stability across North Africa and the Mediterranean.
