The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in a statement to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statements regarding Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The statement read, "Algeria has taken note of the State Department's confirmation of the United States' position, which considers the autonomy plan within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty as the sole solution to the Western Sahara conflict. " The newspaper Ennahar also quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying, "Algeria regrets the confirmation of this position by a permanent member of the Security Council, which is supposed to be committed to respecting international law in general and Security Council resolutions in particular."
The same sources added that "Algeria stressed that the issue of Western Sahara is primarily related to a process of decolonization that has not been completed and to a right to self-determination that has not been fulfilled. In fact, Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory within the meaning of the United Nations Charter, and the people of this territory are still entitled to exercise their right to self-determination as stipulated in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples."
Algeria also pointed out that any deviation from this framework certainly does not serve the cause of settling this conflict. It also does not change the fundamental facts related to it, which have been recognized and established by the United Nations through all its main bodies, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice.
Marco Rubio, during his meeting Tuesday in Washington with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, confirmed that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.