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The United States' representative to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, met on Tuesday, June 30, with a delegation from the political leadership of the Sahrawi Movement for Peace (MSP). The meeting gave the Polisario dissident group an opportunity to present its «vision for resolving the Western Sahara issue», describing the conflict as «a legacy of the Cold War». The movement also welcomed «the commitment of the United States government to a peaceful solution», in line with «the approach adopted by the MSP since its creation in 2020».
The MSP reiterated its support for a «no winners, no losers» solution that «guarantees the dignity of Sahrawis, their return to their land, and the preservation of their rights as the territory's original inhabitants». The group also said it had presented Waltz and his team with a memorandum offering «an in-depth analysis of developments in the Sahara file» and outlining its vision for resolving the dispute.
The delegation included the MSP's first secretary, El Hadj Ahmed Barikalla, political committee members Hadja Baboit and Mohamed Lamine Ennafaa, as well as Mohamed Cherif, a member of the central committee and head of the movement's international relations.
Following the meeting, Waltz confirmed on X that he had received the delegation, describing its members as «Sahrawi voices committed to peace, compromise, and a durable solution». «The world should hear them», he wrote.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the MSP welcomed the talks, describing them as «a clear sign of support for voices that promote dialogue and work toward a lasting political solution» to the Sahara issue.
Polisario increasingly isolated over armed strategy
The meeting further highlights the growing divide between the Polisario Front and dissident Sahrawi groups advocating a negotiated settlement. Unlike the Polisario, whose recent rhetoric has been accompanied by repeated attacks on civilian sites in Moroccan territory, notably in Es-Smara in October 2023, June 2025 and May 2026, the MSP continues to advocate a political solution.
The latest attack prompted renewed international criticism of the Polisario. The United States condemned the strike at a time when the Front is already facing mounting pressure in Washington, where several lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, have called for it to be designated a terrorist organization.
The MSP has consistently distanced itself from the Polisario's position. As early as the end of 2025, it expressed its ambition to join the UN-led political process. In a letter sent to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in November 2025, Barikalla called for the political process to be «democratized» by broadening «the base of Sahrawi actors» in order to reach a lasting solution.
However, UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025, recognizes only Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania as parties to the political process. Excluded from that framework, the MSP continues to promote what it describes as a «third way».
The rift between the MSP and the Polisario had already widened in July 2025, when the movement welcomed the United States' efforts to advance a solution to the conflict during the visit to Algeria of Massad Boulos, special adviser to President Donald Trump for Africa.
