Trump adviser says recent Sahara meetings between parties were "somewhat productive"

Massad Boulos said the Sahara dispute had made “significant progress” in recent months following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797, which he described as a turning point in efforts to revive the political process surrounding the territory.

Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Boulos said the resolution helped reopen discussions between the four parties involved in the UN led process: Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front.

He described recent meetings between the parties as “good and somewhat productive” and said Washington hoped additional progress could be achieved in the coming phase.

The comments come as Morocco intensifies diplomatic efforts to consolidate international backing for its autonomy proposal for the Sahara, which Rabat considers the only basis for resolving the dispute.

The territory has remained contested for decades between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state backed by Algeria.

Boulos also described relations between the United States and Morocco as “historic and exceptional,” saying bilateral ties extended back more than 250 years.

He pointed to recent visits by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and AFRICOM commander Dagvin Anderson to Morocco, as well as the ongoing African Lion 2026 military exercises, which he described as among Washington’s most important multinational defense exercises.

Boulos said the opening of the new U.S. consulate in Casablanca symbolized the depth of bilateral relations, noting that Morocco also hosts the oldest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world in Rabat.

At the same time, he stressed that Washington also maintained “important and strategic” relations with Algeria, particularly in counterterrorism and Sahel security cooperation.

Boulos condemned the recent attack on the city of Smara, calling it “regrettable” and reiterating U.S. opposition to actions that could undermine de escalation efforts or disrupt the UN political process.

He said the United States would continue supporting a negotiated political solution acceptable to all parties under the framework of UN Security Council resolutions, adding that Washington viewed dialogue as the only path toward resolving the conflict.