U.S. Secretary of State in Morocco, Western Sahara and region security on top of the agenda

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Morocco for two days. This visit is part of a tour in the Middle East and North Africa that started last Saturday.

Blinken is meeting his counterpart Nawsser Bourita again after seeing him at an unprecendented meeting in the Neguev desert in Israel along with 3 ministers of Arab countries and Israel. The talks will focus on bilateral and regional security, counterterrorism operations in the Sahel and the economic impact of the conflict in Ukraine, such as the risk of wheat shortages. But the disputed region of Western Sahara should be at the top of the agenda. In 2020, former US president Donald Trump said the territory was Moroccan and three weeks ago, the U.S. supported Rabat’s autonomy plan.

This Wednesday the US top diplomat will head to Algeria, who’s diplomatic relations with Morocco have been strained over the situation of this region partly controlled by Rabat and Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed independence movement.