While John Bolton has been making frequent media appearances to express support for the Polisario, Christopher Ross has stood out through his silence. Both American political figures have long drawn attention for their positions on the Western Sahara issue, yet Ross's quiet stance may reflect a more nuanced understanding of the shifting diplomatic landscape. The former UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, who held the post from 2009 to 2017, appears to be carefully observing developments. «Ambassador Christopher Ross is an experienced diplomat and the son of an ambassador, Claude Gordon Ross», a Moroccan source familiar with the matter told Yabiladi. «Although he no longer holds office, he maintains ties within the U.S. State Department and is aware of certain long-term American diplomatic plans for North Africa. With these familial and institutional connections, he seems to have chosen—for now at least—to remain silent», the source said, adding that «Ross has likely realized the issue is entering its final phase, and the outcome may not favor the Polisario». Historically, Ross often aligned with John Bolton on Western Sahara. This was evident in April 2021 when he voiced support for the Polisario ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the matter. Ross had also condemned President Donald Trump's December 10, 2020 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, calling it «a dangerous decision that compromises the region's stability and U.S. interests in North Africa», in an interview with an official Algerian media outlet. After resigning from his UN post in April 2017, Ross led a student delegation from his alma mater to the Tindouf camps in October 2019. James Baker, another prominent American figure and former UN envoy for Western Sahara, who has long backed the Polisario cause, has also remained silent. Like Ross, Baker criticized Trump's 2020 decision in strong terms. Bolton, Ross, Baker, and Republican Senator James Inhofe, who passed away on July 9, 2024, formed a powerful Washington quartet that consistently advocated for Algerian and Polisario interests in U.S. policy circles.
