Mali Endorses Morocco's Western Sahara Autonomy Plan

BAMAKO, Mali — The transitional government of Mali announced on Friday its support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, while withdrawing recognition of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, in a move aimed at resolving a longstanding territorial dispute.

The decision came during a visit to Bamako by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, who met with his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop. Diop delivered the government's statement following the talks, which were held on instructions from Morocco's King Mohammed VI. Mali, which had recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980, cited an in-depth analysis of the Sahara issue and its effects on regional peace and security as the basis for the shift. The statement from Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the country "supports the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco as the only serious and credible basis for resolving this dispute and considers that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the most realistic solution."

Western Sahara, a phosphate-rich coastal desert roughly the size of Colorado, has been contested since Spain ended its colonial rule there in 1975. Morocco...