History and Context of the Western Sahara Conflict 

In December 2020, the White House announced that Washington would formally recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, a significant change in U.S. policy, and, in parallel, Morocco would resume diplomatic relations with Israel. In this fascinating video, Rosenbloom Family Fellow Sarah Feuer discusses why Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, and an indigenous group, the Sahrawi, have laid claim to the Western Sahara, U.S. interests in this desert region, and next steps for U.S. policy. Feuer is the coauthor, with Institute Executive Director Robert Satloff, of Seizing Opportunities and Strengthening Alliances in Northwest Africa: Ideas for Policy Toward Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, one of the Institute’s Transition 2021 white paper series for the incoming Biden Administration.