UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has secured a strategic partnership with Morocco that accepts its plan for the Sahara region to have autonomy under the country's sovereign rule, reversing Britain's long-standing position.
Mr Lammy called Morocco’s plan “the most credible, viable and pragmatic” path forward.
Morocco administers the region, but its status has strained relations between the country and Algeria, which rejects Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.
The neighbouring country, which cut diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, has said it "regrets" Britain's decision. It criticised the autonomy plan, calling it “empty of content".
Britain previously backed self-determination for the region, which Morocco says is an integral part of its kingdom. The US recognised Morocco's sovereignty in 2020.
The UN has classified the region, home to 612,000 people, as a “non-self-governing territory” since 1963 and says the issue needs to be solved through a political process involving all parties.
At a joint press conference with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat on Sunday, Mr Lammy said the UK was changing its position to support Morocco's plan.
The plan indicates that Rabat would maintain overall sovereignty and control over defence and foreign relations, while the region would retain the Moroccan flag, national anthem and currency.
The ministers also lauded security and trade ties between the countries, noting Morocco's role as co-host of the 2030 Fifa World Cup.
"The time for a resolution and to move this issue forward is long overdue, and would strengthen the stability of North Africa," Mr Lammy said.
He also repeated support for the UN-led process and called on Morocco to “expand on details of what autonomy within the Moroccan state could entail" for the Sahara. "This year is a vital window of opportunity to secure a resolution before we reach 50 years of the dispute in November," he added.
He also said it encouraged "relevant parties to engage urgently and positively with the United Nations-led political process".
Mr Bourita welcomed the shift in policy, saying the new British position contributed "greatly to advancing this momentum and promoting the UN path towards a definitive and mutually acceptable solution based on the autonomy initiative".
The UK's shift fulfils one of Morocco's primary foreign policy objectives and makes Britain the third permanent member of the UN Security Council to back Morocco's position, after France and the US announced their support. Spain and Germany also back the Moroccan autonomy plan.
The Sahara region has recently emerged as a hot spot for investment, attracting European and US companies interested in fishing, agriculture and infrastructure projects that would allow for the transmission of wind and solar power. Morocco has invested heavily in the region and sought support from trade partners.
Morocco and the UK exchange billions of dollars worth of cars, fruit and vegetables. The two countries are working together on XLinks, a renewable energy storage and transmission project. Its backers hope it will power millions of British homes.
In a joint statement, Britain said its export credit agency, UK Export Finance, may consider supporting projects in the Sahara as part of a commitment to mobilise £5 billion ($6.7 billion) for new economic initiatives in Morocco.
