North Africa | US Brokers Historic Western Sahara Talks as Morocco Unveils Autonomy Plan
Oasis Media Collective | North Africa Wire | February 19, 2026
KEY FACTS
Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front gathered in Madrid, Spain, for renewed peace talks over Western Sahara, brokered by the US
The talks unveiled an expanded version of Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan, guaranteeing its sovereignty over Western Sahara while also providing regional legislative authority
The parties have agreed to a “Madrid Roadmap,” returning for a second round of talks later this year in Washington
RABAT, MOROCCO — The United States convened a landmark quadripartite meeting in Madrid, Spain, from February 15-17, bringing delegates from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front for direct negotiations over Western Sahara, the first since 2019.
At the center of the talks was a revised Moroccan Autonomy Plan, presented by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, which substantially expands on Rabat’s original 2007 proposal. The updated framework envisions a unicameral regional parliament—with members elected by universal suffrage alongside tribal designates and gender quotas—as well as regional legislative authority over fisheries, local energy, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
Morocco would retain sovereign control over defense, foreign policy, currency, and national symbols. Crucially, the Moroccan monarch would retain the power to appoint the head of the regional executive.
The plan also includes a “reconciliation and return” mechanism targeting Sahrawi populations currently residing in Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, involving disarmament and civilian reintegration.
The talks, orchestrated by US envoy Massad Boulos and hosted at the American Embassy in Madrid, represent a decisive shift away from the slow-moving UN mediation process that has failed to resolve the conflict since the 2020 ceasefire collapse. In 2021, Algeria—the primary backer of the Polisario Front—severed diplomatic ties with Morocco, leading to persistent tensions between it and the Kingdom. In recent years, Rabat has conducted outreach to foreign powers to gather backing for its Autonomy Plan.
Sources indicate the parties have agreed to a “Madrid Roadmap,” with a second high-level round of talks tentatively planned for Washington in May 2026. The US aim is a finalized political framework before year’s end.
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