US envoy urged Spain to grant Sahrawi nationality
Michael Waltz told Spain's foreign minister the law could reduce refugee camp populations and aid a political deal.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz proposed to Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares that Spain grant nationality to tens of thousands of Sahrawis. Waltz suggested this measure could help reduce the population in Sahrawi refugee camps and facilitate a political agreement. The conversation reportedly occurred on February 10, following negotiations involving Morocco, the POLISARIO Front, Algeria, and Mauritania.
The proposed law, initiated by the Sumar party, passed the Congress of Deputies on September 10 with PSOE support but lapsed when Spain's Cortes dissolved on October 5. Sahrawi leaders expressed cautious support; Brahim Ghali stated in July that it could alleviate hardship but should not overshadow self-determination, while Bachir Mustafá Seyed called it a step towards justice.
Some Sahrawi media outlets interpreted Washington's interest as a strategy to alter the political balance in the camps and pressure the POLISARIO Front. This view aligns with Brahim Ghali's earlier caution that no initiative should eclipse the central goal of self-determination for the Sahrawi people.
Why it mattersThe US envoy's proposal to Spain regarding Sahrawi nationality directly affects the Sahrawi people by potentially altering their living conditions and political standing.