The long-simmering dispute over Western Sahara has taken a sharp turn. Morocco is intensifying its control over the disputed territory, pushing forward with infrastructure projects and security deployments that effectively deepen its annexation. The United Kingdom, in a rare diplomatic intervention, has called for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, a move that risks alienating Rabat. The situation presents a complex geopolitical puzzle, one where historical grievances collide with modern resource politics and shifting alliances.
Morocco has long claimed Western Sahara as its southern provinces. It administers roughly 80% of the territory, including the lucrative phosphate mines at Bou Craa and the Atlantic coast’s rich fishing waters. The Polisario Front, representing the Sahrawi people, demands independence and controls the remaining land east of the Berm, a fortified sand wall built by Morocco in the 1980s. For decades, a UN-brokered ceasefire held, but tensions have escalated since Morocco launched a military operation in November 2020 to clear a roadblock, effectively restarting low-level hostilities.
Now, Morocco is doubling down. Recent satellite imagery shows new Moroccan military bases near the border with Mauritania and expanded civilian settlements in the region. Rabat has also invited foreign investors to tap into Western Sahara’s renewable energy potential, including a massive solar project that would be the largest in Africa. These moves are part of a strategy to make the annexation irreversible, presenting the world with a fait accompli.
The UK’s response is notable. In a statement, the Foreign Office reiterated its support for UN-led efforts but went further, explicitly backing “the right of the Sahrawi people to determine their own future.” This aligns London more closely with the Polisario Front and Algeria, the Front’s main backer. It also puts Britain at odds with the United States, which under the Trump administration recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Rabat normalising relations with Israel. The Biden administration has stopped short of reversing that decision, though it has expressed concern.
Why does this matter now? The UK is seeking post-Brexit trade deals with Morocco, a key economic partner. Yet by championing self-determination, London is wagering that moral posturing will not harm its commercial interests. It is a risky bet. Morocco has already recalled its ambassador to Spain over a similar shift in Madrid’s position, showing that Rabat is willing to flex its diplomatic muscle.
Behind the diplomacy lies a stark reality: Western Sahara is a digital sovereignty battleground too. The region is rich in phosphate, a critical component in lithium-iron-phosphate batteries used for electric vehicles and grid storage. As the world races to decarbonise, control over these resources becomes a matter of technological independence. Morocco currently holds a near-monopoly on phosphate reserves, and the UK’s call for self-determination directly challenges that control.
For the Sahrawi people, the situation is an existential crisis. Decades in refugee camps in Algeria have not diminished their desire for a homeland. But with Morocco’s infrastructure projects erasing the physical traces of a distinct Sahrawi identity, time may be running out. The UK’s voice adds moral weight but little practical leverage.
The coming months will reveal whether this is just another diplomatic skirmish or the beginning of a broader realignment. For now, the Sahrawi are watching, waiting for the international community to turn words into action.
