Western Sahara, the desert bordering the Atlantic Ocean in North Africa, which has been under Moroccan sovereignty for half a century, is the subject of a conflict created by Algeria, its eastern neighbour, in its desperation to gain Atlantic geopolitical influence, which it will never have
It created and used the Polisario Front and invented a country, the ‘Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’, for that purpose. This, then, is my recent statement tothe Fourth Committee of the UN, here in New York.
Speech by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay before the UN
'Mr President.
The Sahara issue is a bilateral dispute between Morocco and Algeria, which has decided to obstruct the completion of the Kingdom's territorial integrity. The UN, through its Secretary-General and his personal envoy, has repeatedly confirmed that this is a regional dispute involving only Morocco and Algeria, which has refused to accept this reality.
In fact, the most recent reports by the UN Secretary-General on the Sahara have highlighted the concern over the unilateral breakdown of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria.
Its recalcitrant position has revealed it to be the main instigator of the peace process, sponsored exclusively by the UN, obstructing it at every turn. I must remind you that the ‘Polisario’, created by Algeria, is a completely intrusive entity in this regional conflict, recognised neither by the UN nor by international law.
Speech by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay before the UN
Let us open our eyes wider. The Polisario is an instrument against the efforts of Morocco and the UN to establish peace and stability in Africa. Let us tell the world that Algeria has been waging a hostile diplomatic campaign against the Kingdom for 50 years, fuelling and reigniting this conflict, and politically stalling and blocking the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.
Let the world know, then, that while Algeria acts in bad faith, Morocco is committed to definitively ending this problem, which lies in the best and exclusive hands of the UN.
Hence, the world should also know that while Morocco has always advocated reaching out to Algeria to resolve the conflict, Algeria has left it with its hand outstretched. That is the difference. The reality is that, in the face of the growing wave of withdrawals of recognition of the pseudo ‘SADR’ – Peru, my country, did so in 2022, when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the current government has suspended it – the legitimacy of Algeria and the Polisario continues to weaken.
Speech by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay before the UN
Mr President.
As 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of this artificial conflict, which should never have happened, I call on Algeria to stop turning its back on the problem it created and to face up to it; to stop stubbornly turning its back on Morocco, the Sahrawi people,the Maghreb and the entire region. The Sahrawis demand that Algeria assume its direct responsibility and engage with maturity to achieve a definitive solution.
Mr President.
It is time to turn the page. The entire Sahara file is on the table, where Morocco, sitting very comfortably, waits for Algeria to do the same. Thank you very much.'