A fresh twist has emerged in the Western Sahara dispute, this time via French media reporting rather than official diplomatic channels. According to recent accounts, Nouakchott is said to want Moroccan recognition of its sovereignty over La Güera, a town at the southern tip of the Saharan territory, in exchange for firmer Mauritanian backing of Rabat’s position on the Sahara question.
The claim traces back to an article published on 18 October by the magazine Jeune Afrique, which revived a long-dormant territorial question. La Güera, a small coastal enclave bordering Mauritania, holds particular symbolic weight in Morocco’s sense of territorial unity, often invoked through the phrase « from Tangier to La Güera » to describe the kingdom stretching unbroken from north to south.
While the report highlights Mauritanian ambitions over the area, it stops short of confirming that Nouakchott has made a formal proposal trading diplomatic support for territorial recognition. Neither government has issued an official statement on the matter, and several regional analysts are urging caution given that the claims have not been corroborated through conventional diplomatic channels.
Renewed interest in La Güera is also tied to economic calculations. The town has been floated in some circles as a future economic hub on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, with mentions of unnamed Emirati investors and ambitions inspired partly by the momentum expected from the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. Port and logistics projects along this stretch of coastline have fueled speculation about renewed regional appetite for an area long left on the margins of major economic corridors.
The development comes as the Western Sahara file remains central to Morocco’s diplomatic agenda, amid growing international endorsement of Rabat’s autonomy plan and shifting positions among regional actors. Algeria, which has long backed the Polisario Front, is widely seen as watching closely for any shift capable of altering the balance of power in the region.
So far, nothing suggests Rabat has formally responded to the French media account. The coming weeks, which include an expected United Nations Security Council vote on renewing the MINURSO mandate, may offer further clarity on whether these reported behind-the-scenes manoeuvres reflect an actual diplomatic track or merely speculation circulating in regional media.
