Morocco is intensifying its efforts to legitimize its contested claim over Western Sahara – gaining support from powerful nations at the expense of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. On June 1, the United Kingdom officially endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
The announcement came after a high-profile visit by the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, to Rabat, where he signed multiple investment agreements with his Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
The agreements not only strengthen bilateral economic relations but also show broader geopolitical motivations, particularly as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. With its endorsement, the United Kingdom becomes the third permanent member of the United Nations Security Council along with the United States and France, to back Morocco’s “autonomy plan”.