During his confirmation speech as secretary of state, Marco Rubio praised Morocco’s progress as a strategic ally of the United States. Along with these statements, Senator Joe Wilson also expressed strong support for the Kingdom by calling the Polisario a terrorist organization.
Marco Rubio, designated Secretary of State by Donald Trump, took advantage of his speech before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to highlight the key role of Morocco in bilateral relations with the United States. “If you look to West Africa, there are real opportunities underway, not only in the fight against terrorism but also in economic development. I also think, towards the north, in Morocco, where we are seeing substantial progress, thanks to the (Abraham) Accords, but also thanks to a relationship which continues to be built”he said.
These remarks reflect an explicit recognition of the central role that the Kingdom plays on several fronts. Morocco is presented as a key partner, not only in the fight against terrorism, but also for its role in the economic development of the region and the promotion of the Abraham Accords.
Rubio, known for his firm positions against authoritarian regimes, had already expressed criticism of Algeria in particular. In 2022, he sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to request sanctions against Algiers, accused of strengthening its military ties with Russia. This hostility of the Florida senator towards the Algerian regime finds its roots in a vision of foreign policy which associates him with an uninhibited American right, disinclined to compromise diplomacy.
-Joe Wilson calls Polisario a terrorist organization
Alongside Marco Rubio’s statements, Republican Senator Joe Wilson also expressed his support for Morocco, adopting an even more offensive posture against the Polisario separatists. During a Senate plenary session, Wilson called the Polisario a “terrorist organization,” saying powers such as Russia, Cuba and Iran actively support the group to destabilize West Africa.
He recalled that “Morocco has been an essential partner of the United States for 250 years” and welcomed the Trump administration’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. Wilson also denounced the links between the Polisario and terrorist groups, such as the PKK, and their actions harmful to U.S. allies, such as Turkey.
With growing support from U.S. officials like Marco Rubio and Joe Wilson, the relationship between Morocco and the United States is set to strengthen further under the Trump administration. This dynamic promises to consolidate American support for the Moroccanness of the Sahara, with prospects of increased recognition on the international scene. At the same time, Algeria’s attempts to change this situation seem to be running out of steam, while the imminent designation of the Polisario as a terrorist organization would mark the end of half a century of vain shenanigans carried out to destabilize Morocco.
