Trump's new Foreign Secretary reaffirms commitment to Morocco and recognition of Western Sahara

1. Fissured support
2. Harsh criticism of Algeria

Marco Rubio, the future US Secretary of State under the new Trump Administration, reaffirmed US recognition of Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 15 January. 

Rubio highlighted the role of the Alawi country as a key ally in US diplomatic engagement on the African continent. This diplomatic support confirms the line that began with the US recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, originally announced by then President Donald Trump during his first term in office on 10 December 2020.

This stance is even clearer than it was five years ago, with Congressmen such as Joe Wilson openly criticising the separatist Polisario Front organisation as a ‘terrorist gang’ during a public session of Congress, something that was not the case four years ago. 

Furthermore, Wilson noted that ‘Putin, Iran and Cuba are actively destabilising West Africa by backing the Polisario Front, which translates into a clear threat to Moroccan stability’. 

Wilson also praised developments in Morocco's northern regions, noting that ‘Rabat has been, is, and will be an important and strategic ally of the United States for 250 years’. 

Fissured support

While the Biden administration maintained this recognition, it showed some uncertainty over the progress of certain initiatives, especially the plan to build a US consulate in Dakhla. 

However, the Biden administration has consistently reiterated its support for Morocco's position. In October 2024, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller asserted that US policy towards Western Sahara has not changed, especially in response to questions about UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura's controversial partition proposal. 

This position was further confirmed in November 2024, when Barbara Leaf, US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat and described Morocco's Autonomy Plan as ‘serious and credible’ in resolving the Western Sahara dispute. 

Harsh criticism of Algeria

This is not the first time that US diplomats have spoken out harshly against Algeria, a historic ally of Russia. Marco Rubio previously called for sanctions against Algiers in September 2022, criticising its military purchases from Moscow. 

So much so that, in a letter to then Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Marco Rubio mentioned Algeria as ‘a major global purchaser of Russian military equipment’ and called for sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. 

During his confirmation hearing, the new secretary of state-designate noted Morocco's progress: ‘If you look at West Africa, there are real opportunities going forward, not only in terms of fighting terrorism, but also economic growth’. In particular, he criticised the Polisario's recent arrival of Kurdish PKK members in Tindouf as contemptuous of Turkey, a US ally in NATO.