The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary, Joshua Harris, arrived in Morocco on Wednesday to embark on a series of critical meetings with senior Moroccan officials.
Harris’s diplomatic mission, which previously included a visit to Algeria, is primarily focused on regional security concerns and underscores US commitment to the United Nations (UN) political process concerning the Sahara issue, as stated by the US State Department.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Josh Harris arrived today in Morocco for meetings with Moroccan government officials including @MarocDiplomatie’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to discuss advancing regional peace, prosperity, and security.
— U.S. State Dept – Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) September 6, 2023
Harris’s visits to Morocco and Algeria coincide with the ongoing tour of southern regions of Morocco by Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General.
In a parallel effort to support de Mistura’s endeavors in advancing the stalemated political process, a US delegation led by Harris made a visit to the Tindouf refugee camps last Friday.
Harris’s visit to the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, was marked by a firsthand examination of the challenging living conditions within the settlements administered by the Polisario Front with support from the Algerian state.
The visit underscored the United States’ steadfast support for a political resolution to the Sahara conflict, grounded in United Nations resolutions.
Harris expressed the US government’s commitment, stating, “My purpose in visiting Tindouf was to express the sincerity of my government’s commitment to support the United Nations political process to achieve a permanent and dignified political solution in Western Sahara.”
The delegation led by Harris also emphasized the critical importance of a series of conditions for the success of the political process, including securing a ceasefire in the region.
The delegation’s primary objective was to seek the Polisario Front’s agreement to a military ceasefire, a pivotal step towards lasting peace and a resolution to the long-standing Saharawi conflict.
During his visit to Algiers on Sunday, Harris held discussions with Lounes Magramane, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Algerian Community Abroad. Their talks revolved around the prospects of strengetheing United Nations efforts aimed at achieving a political solution based on “realism and the spirit of compromise.”
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