US delegation visits El Guerguerate to strengthen Morocco border security

Members of the U.S. Embassy in Rabat visited the El Guerguerat border crossing between Morocco and Mauritania on Thursday, June 25.

«For the first time, a U.S. delegation in Morocco traveled to El Guerguerat, the only border crossing between Morocco and Mauritania, reaffirming our shared commitment to strengthening regional security and bilateral cooperation», the embassy said in a statement.

During the visit, the delegation met with Moroccan officials to strengthen cooperation on border security, combat human trafficking and drug smuggling, and enhance interagency coordination in the Moroccan Sahara, the statement added.

The visit comes just weeks after U.S. Ambassador Duke Buchan III traveled to Laayoune and Dakhla in early May, a trip that drew sharp criticism from the Polisario Front.

On December 10, 2020, under President Donald Trump, the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.