Algeria held discussions on Monday with Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations special envoy for Western Sahara, focusing on how to sustain direct negotiations between the two main sides—the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front, the Western Sahara liberation movement. A statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the goal is to reach a political, fair, and durable solution to the issue of the former Spanish colony.
The public centerpiece of Monday’s talks was the engagement between de Mistura and Ramtane Lamamra, Algeria’s foreign minister. The three-day visit to Algeria marks the first since the 2020 collapse of the ceasefire between Polisario and Morocco, and since Spain altered its stance on the conflict in March this year, a shift that has reshaped regional dynamics.
Morocco and the Polisario Front remain technically at war. The conflict intensified after the Polisario Front responded to a Moroccan military action at the Guerguerat border crossing, a move that led to the desert region’s status being disputed. Morocco considers the area part of its territory and cites the 1991 ceasefire as no longer in effect. Spain’s withdrawal in 1975, following the entry of Moroccan forces into the region, was a turning point that birthed the area known as the Green March.
Since then, control over the territory has remained contested. Morocco has built a security wall around the area, while the Polisario Front contends the land belongs to the Sahrawi people. The United Nations supports self-determination through the MINURSO mission, and Spain has endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as a realistic framework for possible resolution.
international efforts
The memo notes that de Mistura and the Algerian foreign minister also discussed recent political developments related to the Sahrawi issue, including the breakdown of the ceasefire and shifts in positions by Spain and other countries such as France, Germany, and the United States, which under the previous administration recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The conversations highlighted hopes to strengthen international efforts aimed at reviving direct negotiations between the parties. The plan calls for a solution that is acceptable to both sides and that ensures the Sahrawi people can exercise their inalienable right to self-determination in line with United Nations resolutions and the decolonization doctrine.
The discussion echoed recent regional movements. A planned visit to Laayoune, the main city in Western Sahara, was unexpectedly cancelled by de Mistura as a protest against Rabat’s attempt to steer his agenda. He later indicated a schedule that included meetings in Nouakchott, Mauritania, planned for September 10, where officials will discuss prospects for moving the political process forward. The envoy aims to build on precedent set by his predecessors and to deepen consultations with all stakeholders involved.
Last year, de Mistura held the post of Western Sahara envoy and was credited with bringing the parties to the table. The role had been vacant since German diplomat Horst Köhler left in 2019 after years devoted to reconciliation efforts. Earlier, U.S. diplomat James Baker pursued similar avenues on behalf of the United Nations Secretariat as the personal envoy to Kofi Annan’s leadership era.
EU in Algeria
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the El Muradia presidential palace in Algiers on Monday. The meeting comes four months after Algeria retaliated against Spain for backing Morocco’s Sahrawi autonomy plan. The European Union, which oversees trade policy under its treaty framework with Algeria, has yet to announce concrete moves in response. Michel emphasized in a social post the aim to strengthen cooperation with the EU in areas such as regional stability, energy, trade, and prosperity, highlighting shared goals with Algeria.
Michel’s visit was part of ongoing EU efforts to maintain dialogue with Algerian authorities following the split with Spain over Western Sahara. The discussions included assurances of continued cooperation in security, energy, and economic collaboration, even as bilateral relations adjust to evolving political realities in the region. Algerian authorities, in turn, called for reinforced ties that support regional resilience and sustained development.
In Algiers, Michel and Algerian Foreign Minister Lamamra discussed the broader implications of Western Sahara on regional security, trade, and political stability. The European Union remains engaged through its structures and member state channels, seeking to balance strategic interests with the need to support a peaceful and lawful path to self-determination for Sahrawi people.
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