Morocco Consolidates Its International Legitimacy… Autonomy Emerges as the Only Option to End the Sahara Dispute

By: Meryem Hafiani – ALDAR

Morocco continues to strengthen its position as an influential regional and international player in the Sahara issue, relying on the growing support for its autonomy initiative as the only serious and practical solution to end a decades-old conflict. With more than 120 countries openly declaring their support for the Moroccan Sahara, and dozens of capitals affirming in UN forums that the Moroccan proposal constitutes a realistic and implementable framework, it has become clear that Rabat’s approach enjoys increasing legitimacy that goes beyond rhetoric and slogans. By contrast, what is called the “Sahrawi Republic” has lost any real weight outside Algerian propaganda and a handful of statements with no impact on the ground.

Today’s international landscape reveals a strategic shift in Morocco’s favor. Japan, for instance, has maintained a consistent stance, recognizing the Moroccan autonomy plan as a credible initiative. This was reflected in the exclusion of the Polisario representative from the TICAD Summit in Yokohama, sending a clear message that the separatist entity has no place on the international stage. Meanwhile, as more and more countries withdraw their recognition of the so-called “state,” Morocco continues to strengthen its presence through a network of alliances and partnerships with major powers in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America—making its proposal the central reference for any future discussion of the conflict.

It has now become evident that Algeria and the Polisario Front are left with little more than a narrative built on “imaginary victories” that exist only in media and propaganda. On the ground and in diplomacy, however, the facts confirm that Morocco is steadily moving toward consolidating its sovereignty over its southern provinces. With every new consulate opened in Laayoune and Dakhla, and with every renewed expression of international support, it becomes ever clearer that time is working in Morocco’s favor, while the separatist illusion crumbles day by day in the face of the political solution’s realism.