Relationship dossier
United States
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara weighs against the territory’s independence claim.
United States toward Western Sahara
-35In 2020, the United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for resolving the dispute. This position weighs against the territory’s claim to self-determination as an independent state.
Western Sahara toward United States
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2020 and described Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for resolving the dispute. This policy weighs against the territory’s claim to self-determination as an independent state. Western Sahara is disputed and does not have an independent foreign policy, so a separate government-to-government assessment from the territory to the United States is not available.
Areas of tension
- U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty conflicts with the independence claim associated with Western Sahara.
Key developments
The United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and described Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for resolving the dispute.
Major uncertainties
- The practical implications of the 2020 U.S. recognition for the UN-led political process are unclear.
- Western Sahara’s disputed status limits the identification of a single government speaking for the territory.