Obama administration steps into Western Sahara minefield
The agency is close to awarding a $1 million grant for the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.
![CUBA-USA/ U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) speaks at a news conference in Miami, Florida, August 12, 2015. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is seen on the right. Ros-Lehtinen called the opening of a U.S. embassy in Cuba a "diplomatic charade rewarding the tyrannical Castro regime.", local media reported. REUTERS/Joe Skipper - RTX1O2SY](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2016/04/RTX1O2SY.jpg/RTX1O2SY.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=llGZzhRj)
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.