David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Articles & Testimony
Although recent elections in the long-disputed territory delivered a resounding message of support for Moroccan dominion, Algeria still seems bent on imposing independence.
Fatima Mansouri made history last month by becoming Morocco’s first female prime minister. King Mohammed VI’s appointment of the 50-year-old French-trained lawyer, former member of Parliament and mayor of Marrakesh, has dominated postelection media coverage. But Ms. Mansouri’s rise, while newsworthy, isn’t the most consequential result of the balloting. In 2020, the first Trump administration recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Since then, dozens of countries have followed. But several holdouts, notably neighboring Algeria, remain opposed to its integration with the kingdom...