Obama administration steps into Western Sahara minefield
The agency is close to awarding a $1 million grant for the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.
The State Department is expected to soon approve a $1 million program for a disputed North African region in a compromise that could yet anger all those involved.
The agency is gearing up to approve the grant for the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara under pressure from Rabat’s friends in Congress. In a twist, however, the program is restricted to boosting civil society rather than promoting the kind of economic development long sought by Morocco.
“The State Department is in the process of concluding negotiations on a civil society and local governance program in the Western Sahara,” a State Department official told Al-Monitor.
“The planned $1 million program will support the people of the Western Sahara to form meaningful linkages with civil society organizations and local government.”
