US Adopts Map of Disputed Moroccan Sahara

Western Sahara is mostly under Morocco's control, where tensions with pro-independence Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s.

The United States has adopted a "new official" map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara, its ambassador to Rabat said.

"This map is a tangible representation of President Trump's bold proclamation two days ago - recognising Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara," Ambassador David Fischer said on Saturday, according to a statement seen by AFP news agency.

He signed the "new official US government map of the kingdom of Morocco" at a ceremony in the US embassy in the capital, Rabat, adding that the map would be presented to Morocco's King Mohammed VI. 

Western Sahara is a disputed and divided former Spanish colony, mostly under Morocco's control, where tensions with the pro-independence Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s.

Morocco on Thursday became the fourth Arab state this year, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, to announce it had agreed to normalise relations with Israel.

US President Donald Trump, in turn, backed Morocco's contested sovereignty over Western Sahara, something Morocco has spent decades trying to gain support for.

Here is the verbatim of U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation on the Moroccan Sahara. "The United States affirms, as stated by previous Administrations, its support for Morocco's autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory. Therefore, as of today, the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory and reaffirms its support for Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic autonomy...