Mali has officially aligned itself with Morocco's position on the Western Sahara dispute, expressing support for the Moroccan autonomy plan as the basis for a political solution to the long-standing territorial conflict. This diplomatic shift marks a notable development in West African geopolitics, as Morocco has been actively seeking broader African support for its sovereignty claims over the territory.
Morocco has long proposed an autonomy plan for Western Sahara under its sovereignty, a proposal it first submitted to the United Nations in 2007. The plan has gained increasing international recognition over the years, with a growing number of countries — including several African nations — expressing support for the Moroccan initiative as a credible and realistic framework for resolving the dispute.
Mali's alignment with Morocco comes amid broader regional realignments in the Sahel, where several countries have been reassessing their foreign policy positions. Morocco has been deepening its diplomatic and economic ties across sub-Saharan Africa, and Bamako's support represents a further consolidation of Rabat's continental diplomatic strategy.
The Western Sahara conflict has been ongoing since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Morocco administers the majority of the territory, while the Polisario Front — backed by Algeria — seeks full independence. The United Nations continues to seek a mutually acceptable political solution through its special envoy process.
