UK backs UN-led process on the Moroccan Sahara, confirms Polisario talks

The British government has restated its support for the UN-led political process on the Moroccan Sahara, saying it remains in contact with all the parties concerned, in a written answer to a parliamentary question.

Stephen Doughty, minister of state at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, set out the position in reply to a question from MP Brian Leishman. London backs United Nations efforts to reach a political solution to the regional dispute that rests on compromise, is acceptable to the parties and is consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said.

British officials had met representatives of the Polisario twice in recent weeks, Doughty disclosed: in London on September 17 and in New York on October 8. He described the meetings as part of the United Kingdom’s contacts on the issue.

The answer comes as the UN Security Council prepares to consider renewing the mandate of its MINURSO mission, which expires on October 31, and to adopt a new resolution on the mission’s future.

Attention is turning to what the forthcoming text will say about the political process. It follows Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025, which explicitly named Morocco’s autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for negotiations towards a settlement.