Josh Harris, US deputy Assistant Secretary, is expected to arrive in Morocco on Friday, September 1st, to discuss regional security issues, including Moroccan Sahara. Horris is planning to visit Algeria as well for the same regard, in a tweet posted by U.S State Department – Near Eastern Affairs on X.
“Deputy Assistant Secretary Josh Harris is traveling to Morocco and Algeria to consult on regional security and reaffirm full U.S. support for the @UN political process for Western Sahara.”
According to Sahraoui-affiliate media, Horris plans to hold meetings with the Polisario Front’s Brahim Ghali, and gatherings with groups of women and youth as well as visiting some camp facilities.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Josh Harris is traveling to Morocco and Algeria to consult on regional security and reaffirm full U.S. support for the @UN political process for Western Sahara.
— U.S. State Dept – Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) August 31, 2023
In addition, the United Nations Envoy to the Moroccan Sahara, Staffan de Mistura is expected to have a tour visit in the region in the upcoming days. This visit will be de Mistura’s first visit to Lââyoune since his promotion to this role, but his second to the Kingdom.
De Mistura’s mission will involve persuading Algeria of the necessity to restart the UN-led roundtables process the aim of which is to find a political solution for the Western Sahara conflict.
As a reminder, de Mistura was on a regional tour visit that began in July 2022 during which he held a meeting with Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and concluded in September of the same year in Tindouf where he had a meeting with Polisario representatives.
The United Envoy to the Moroccan Sahara received representatives from Morocco, Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania for informal bilateral consultations in New York, last March as part of the preparation of his semestrial briefing to the Security Council in April.