Backing stability in the Sahara is a strategic necessity

In a compelling opinion piece for The Telegraph, retired British Army officer and former Middle East adviser at the UK Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall, emphasizes the importance of supporting stability in the Sahara region. He asserts that the United Kingdom must recognize its true allies in Africa chief among them, Morocco.

Mayall commends the UK government’s recent decision to back Morocco’s autonomy plan for Moroccan Sahara, describing it as the most credible and pragmatic path toward resolving the long-standing conflict. This move brings the UK in line with key Western partners such as the United States, France, and Spain, signaling a significant diplomatic shift on an issue that has remained unresolved for nearly five decades.

Highlighting a major partnership agreement signed between London and Rabat, Mayall notes that this is the first time the UK has formally endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the most realistic and sustainable solution for lasting peace in Moroccan Sahara. Originally presented to the United Nations in 2007, the autonomy plan has gained increasing international support.

According to Mayall, this alignment strengthens the UK's position within the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly, paving the way for a definitive and long-term resolution. He emphasizes that such a resolution is in the best interest of the people of Moroccan Sahara and is the most promising path to economic development and prosperity in the region.

Mayall also stresses that the UK’s support for the Moroccan proposal reflects a broader understanding within British foreign policy circles that political dynamics in Africa are shifting, and that Morocco has proven to be a reliable partner in addressing key regional challenges, including terrorism, organized crime, illegal migration, and destabilizing influences from Russian and Iranian proxies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He argues that opposing Morocco’s autonomy plan only serves narrow interests that do nothing to benefit local populations. For Mayall, backing Moroccan-led stability efforts is not only politically and diplomatically sound it is the right course of action.