Western Sahara: Moroccan autonomy, or a vote on independence?
After the first direct talks since 2019, Morocco's autonomy plan — backed by a 2025 UN resolution — is the basis for negotiations. Rabat calls it the only realistic solution; the Polisario Front insists on a referendum that includes independence.
The summary above is a neutral framing. Below, each side reports the same story in its own words — judge for yourself.
Rabat says genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty — now endorsed by the UN Security Council — is the realistic, final solution, and that Algeria, not Morocco, is the party blocking a deal.
The Polisario Front says the Sahrawi people hold an inalienable right to self-determination, rejecting a 'colonial fait accompli' and demanding a free referendum that includes the option of independence.
