Massad Boulos, advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, revealed in his first media appearance following his recent visit to Algeria that he discussed the issue of the Moroccan Sahara with Algerian officials, foremost among them the country’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, affirming that the only solution Washington believes in to end the Sahara conflict is the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat.
This revelation came in an interview given by Boulos to El Watan, an Algerian newspaper close to the regime, where he responded to a question regarding the American position on the Moroccan Sahara issue — a "point of contention" with Algeria, according to the Algerian newspaper. He stated that the United States of America recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and supports the autonomy proposal as a “serious, credible, and realistic framework for a just solution to this conflict.”
Boulos added in this context that Washington still “believes that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only possible solution,” noting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently renewed “President Trump’s call for the concerned parties to immediately engage in negotiations using Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the only framework to reach a mutually acceptable solution.”
Trump’s advisor further clarified, in his response, that the U.S. Secretary of State indicated that “the United States will facilitate progress toward this goal,” revealing in this regard that he had the opportunity to “discuss this issue directly with President Tebboune and Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf regarding the United States' commitment to achieving a long-awaited peaceful settlement.”
With this statement, Massad Boulos put an end to many interpretations circulated by Algerian parties and others aligned with the Polisario Front, who claimed that the American advisor’s visit to Algeria, without a corresponding visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, signaled a possible new U.S. approach to resolving the Sahara conflict, away from the autonomy plan or the American recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.
This interview is also considered Boulos's first public statement after his visit to North Africa — particularly Algeria — and it contains for the first time an official acknowledgment from the American advisor that he discussed the Moroccan Sahara issue with Algerian officials as part of resolving the conflict under Moroccan sovereignty.
It is worth noting in this context that Algeria did not mention, either directly or indirectly, any discussion with Massad Boulos concerning the Sahara issue. This reflects a kind of “dissatisfaction” among decision-makers in Algeria regarding Washington’s continued commitment to its position on the Sahara issue. It appears that Boulos came to Algeria to push for resolving the conflict under the Moroccan autonomy plan, not to discuss alternative solutions.
It is also worth mentioning that just days after Boulos’s visit to Algeria, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a congratulatory letter to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. In the letter, he reaffirmed the United States’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative “as the only basis for a just and lasting settlement of this dispute.”
Trump said in his letter: “I would like to reaffirm that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports the Moroccan autonomy proposal — which is serious, credible, and realistic — as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to this conflict.”
After expressing his congratulations on behalf of the United States to the King and the Moroccan people, Trump affirmed that “the United States places great importance on the strong and enduring partnership that binds us with Morocco. Together, we are working to advance our shared priorities for peace and security in the region, particularly through the Abraham Accords, counterterrorism efforts, and the expansion of trade cooperation to benefit both Americans and Moroccans alike.”
The President of the United States concluded by saying: “I look forward to continuing our cooperation to strengthen regional stability, security, and peace.”
