Moroccan Sahara: Bourita Meets De Mistura in Rabat Ahead of UN Security Council Consultations
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita met with UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura in Rabat to discuss Morocco's Autonomy Initiative for the Sahara. Bourita emphasized national sovereignty and international support ahead of the April 2025 UN Security Council consultations. Algeria's opposition complicates the discussions surrounding this initiative.
hassan benyoub 
Rabat, March 24, 2025, 11:30 AM PDT – Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita held talks with Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara, on Monday in Rabat, as part of De Mistura’s regional tour. The meeting, attended by Morocco’s UN Ambassador Omar Hilale, comes ahead of the UN Security Council’s informal consultations scheduled for mid-April 2025, according to a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, shared on X by @MarocDiplo.
Key Points of Discussion
The Moroccan delegation highlighted the international momentum driven by King Mohammed VI in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and its Autonomy Initiative. On November 6, 2024, during the 49th anniversary of the Green March, the King urged the UN to “assume its responsibilities by highlighting the stark contrast between two paradigms: the realistic and legitimate one embodied by Morocco in its Sahara, and one rooted in an outdated vision, disconnected from global realities and developments,” as quoted in MAP (Maghreb Arab Press).
Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to supporting the efforts of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and De Mistura to achieve a “political, realistic, pragmatic, and lasting solution” based solely on the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, per the ministry’s statement. This initiative, proposed in 2007, has gained significant international backing, including from France and the U.S., as noted in a 2025 Al Jazeera report on Western Sahara.
Context and Regional Dynamics
De Mistura’s visit follows his earlier engagements in Laâyoune and Dakhla in 2023, where he met with local leaders, per Le Matin.ma. The Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, presented to the UN Security Council in 2007, offers self-governance for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, a plan supported by over 100 countries, per sahara.ma. However, the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, demands independence, a stance the UN deems unviable, as stated in a 2025 U.S. State Department letter cited on en.wikipedia.org.
The meeting underscores Morocco’s diplomatic push, especially after King Mohammed VI’s 2021 declaration that the Kingdom would not engage in economic or commercial dealings excluding the Sahara, per lecourrierdelatlas.com. Posts on X, like @MoroccoUN’s, emphasized Morocco’s “unwavering commitment” to the UN process, while @PolisarioWatch criticized it as a “delaying tactic.”
Implications for UN Consultations
The April 2025 UN Security Council consultations will likely focus on renewing the mandate of MINURSO, the UN mission overseeing the Western Sahara referendum process, per UN News. Morocco’s insistence on the Autonomy Initiative as the sole framework aligns with recent French support, with President Macron in 2025 affirming the plan as “the only basis for a just, lasting, and negotiated solution,” per en.wikipedia.org. However, Algeria’s opposition, intensified by France’s stance, risks complicating talks, as noted in a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis on North African geopolitics.
As of 11:30 AM PDT, De Mistura is expected to continue his tour, potentially visiting Algeria and the Tindouf camps, though no itinerary has been confirmed, per Reuters. The Rabat meeting signals Morocco’s proactive stance ahead of the UN discussions, aiming to solidify international support for its position.
