Sahrawi Government Condemns Moroccan Prime Minister's UN General Assembly Speech on Western Sahara

Sahrawi Government Denounces Moroccan Stance at UNGA

The Sahrawi Government has issued a strong condemnation of the speech delivered by Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2025. The Sahrawi authorities characterized the Moroccan Prime Minister's statements regarding Western Sahara as a 'rebellion against international legitimacy' and a 'disregard for United Nations principles'.

Morocco Reaffirms Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara

During his address to the General Assembly, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, speaking on behalf of Morocco, reiterated that Rabat's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara remains 'the only realistic and lasting solution' to the long-standing dispute. He asserted that 'the time has come to turn the page' on what he described as a 'manufactured conflict', claiming that a 'large majority of countries in the international community' now view the 2007 autonomy plan as the sole credible basis for a settlement. Akhannouch also highlighted socio-economic investments and development initiatives in the southern provinces, portraying the region as a 'strategic platform for peace, security and shared development'.

Sahrawi Response: A Call for Decolonization and Self-Determination

In its official statement, the Sahrawi Government, represented by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), affirmed that Morocco's 'defiant stance' demonstrates a lack of political will to comply with resolutions from the United Nations and the African Union concerning the decolonization of Western Sahara. The government referred to Morocco as an 'occupying power' pursuing an 'expansionist and colonialist agenda'. They emphasized that the question of Western Sahara is a decolonization issue, recognized by the UN General Assembly since 1963, upholding the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV).

International Legitimacy and the Path Forward

The Sahrawi Government reiterated that the UN-African settlement plan of 1988, which was accepted by both parties to the conflict, the Polisario Front and Morocco, and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolutions 658 (1990) and 690 (1991), remains the 'only practical and viable framework' for a solution. They called for a 'firm and decisive response from the international community' and reaffirmed the Sahrawi people's determination to continue their struggle for freedom, independence, and sovereignty over the entire territory of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Western Sahara is often referred to by the Sahrawi Government as Africa's last remaining colony.