In his final weeks in office, President Donald Trump stunned the international community in formally recognizing Western Sahara as part of Morocco. Morocco has occupied much of its southern neighbor since 1975, when it invaded and annexed the former Spanish colony in defiance of the United Nations Security Council and a landmark ruling of the International Court of Justice. Morocco’s claim on Western Sahara is rejected by the United Nations, the World Court, the African Union and a broad consensus of international legal scholars that consider the region a non-self-governing territory that must be allowed an act of self-determination.

Recommendations

• In terms of foreign governments, restricting the use of weapons they provide the Moroccan government to within Morocco’s internationally-recognized borders.
• In terms of U.S. policy, suspending Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara pending a marked improvement in the human rights situation.