The United Kingdom has aligned with the United States and France to endorse a UN Security Council resolution supporting Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, bolstering the 2007 proposal's credibility, Africa Intelligence reports. Meanwhile, Algeria strengthens ties with Russia in a bid to counter this diplomatic push. The United Kingdom is joining forces with the United States and France to back a UN Security Council resolution supporting Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, Africa Intelligence reported. This move further reinforces the credibility of Morocco's 2007 proposal. To refine its position, London has sought the expertise of Christopher Thornton from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD). A specialist in North African conflicts, Thornton joined the CHD in 2011 and oversaw North African affairs from 2013 to 2018, according to the same source. On June 1 in Rabat, the British government officially endorsed Morocco's autonomy initiative for the Sahara. The announcement was made by Foreign Secretary David Lammy following a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. France and the United Kingdom are now working closely with the U.S. State Department, under the leadership of Marco Rubio, to finalize a draft resolution expected to be submitted to the Security Council on October 30. According to Africa Intelligence, the U.S. administration remains divided between extending MINURSO's mandate by one year, as recommended by the UN Secretary-General, or redefining the mission with a purely stabilizing role. Algeria Steps Up Efforts with Russia While the U.S., France, and the U.K. support Morocco, this does not guarantee the adoption of a resolution that would rule out the referendum option and remove the issue from the UN's Fourth Committee. Russia's stance remains decisive, as a potential veto from Moscow could derail Rabat and its allies' efforts. «Moscow's proximity to Algiers could work against Morocco», the outlet noted. In recent weeks, Algeria has intensified its diplomatic outreach to Moscow. On the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Meanwhile, Algerian army chief General Saïd Chengriha hosted a Russian delegation led by Dmitry Shugaev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, in Algiers. At the same time, Algeria is leveraging its new mining law, which allows foreign investors to hold up to 80% of shares in mining projects, to attract Russian capital. Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab met on September 8 in Algiers with Roman Marchavin, Russia's Deputy Energy Minister. Ten days later, he welcomed representatives of the Russian state group Almaz Oil Services, who were seeking partnerships with Sonatrach, Sonelgaz, and Manadjim El Djazair.
