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Algeria signals openness to restore ties with Morocco amid Sahara tensions
Senior US presidential advisor Massad Boulos said that Algeria has shown willingness to improve relations with Morocco, a move that could signal a rare diplomatic thaw between the two North African neighbors long divided over the Sahara dispute.
In an interview with Asharq News on October 16, Boulos revealed that during his meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algerian officials “expressed their willingness to improve ties with their Moroccan neighbors with Morocco, with the Moroccan people, with His Majesty the King, the Moroccan government, and the brotherly Moroccan nation.”
Boulos described Morocco and Algeria as “brothers and neighbors” bound by shared history and cultural ties. His remarks come as Algeria continues to resist international calls to acknowledge its central role in the decades-long Sahara conflict, despite its backing of the separatist Polisario Front.
HM King Mohammed VI has repeatedly urged Algeria to engage in open dialogue to end the political deadlock that has strained bilateral relations for years. The monarch reiterated this message in his Throne Day speech last July, reaffirming Morocco’s commitment to reconciliation. Yet Algeria has consistently rejected these overtures, maintaining a stance that challenges Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Earlier this month, President Tebboune reiterated Algeria’s refusal to “abandon the Sahara dispute,” underscoring its enduring involvement in obstructing the UN-led peace process. Morocco has long asserted that any meaningful resolution remains out of reach unless Algeria acknowledges its responsibility as a principal party to the conflict.
Boulos commended Morocco’s leadership and HM King Mohammed VI’s diplomatic approach, noting that Washington places great confidence in the monarch’s wisdom and in the nation’s constructive engagement with international partners, including Algeria.
He also praised European allies particularly Spain, the United Kingdom, and France for their growing support of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, which is widely viewed as the most realistic framework for resolving the territorial dispute. France took a decisive step last year when President Emmanuel Macron announced his government’s recognition of Morocco’s full sovereignty over Sahara.
Reflecting on this international momentum, Boulos said the United States is “more optimistic than ever” about reaching a lasting solution. “The time has come, in truth, to resolve it,” he concluded.
