The UK said Sunday it would back Morocco’s proposal for autonomy for the disputed territory of Western Sahara, over which Rabat claims sovereignty. It joins France, Spain and the U.S. in endorsing the Moroccan plan, which Rabat advanced in 2007. Previously, Morocco had nominally accepted the idea of a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination for the territory. The pro-independence Polisario Front has long insisted that such a plebiscite be held. Crisis Group expert Riccardo Fabiani says Morocco has scored another win in its decades-long diplomatic campaign to promote autonomy as the best way to settle the Western Sahara conflict. It is notable, however, that London refrained from recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, highlighting instead the need for all parties to agree to a solution. In so doing, the UK may give a boost to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura’s efforts to relaunch negotiations in the coming months.
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