In a momentous diplomatic pivot, Kenya has thrown its support behind Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. This decision could upend decades of gridlock and recalibrate Africa’s geopolitical compass. Kenya, a regional heavyweight, has made it unmistakably clear that the era of ambiguity on Western Sahara is over.
By aligning with Morocco’s vision, which offers broad autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, Kenya isn’t just endorsing a pragmatic solution to a frozen conflict. It is championing stability, investment and Western-aligned governance in a region where chaos and extremism have too often flourished in vacuums of power. This is a victory not just for Morocco, but for Africa, for the United States and for Israel—three nations whose strategic interests now converge more sharply than ever.
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An archway in the entrance of Dakhla carries an image of Morocco's King Mohammed VI, in Western Sahara, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020
(Photo: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Kenya’s move sends shockwaves through the African Union, where Algeria-backed support for the Polisario Front and its so-called Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has long been a relic of Cold War ideology. This legacy alliance, propped up by Marxist rhetoric and petro-funded manipulation from Algiers, has stalled African unity and undermined development in the Maghreb for decades.
But times have changed. Today’s Africa is not looking backward. It is focused on entrepreneurship, infrastructure and connectivity. Kenya’s embrace of Morocco’s plan reflects this modern mindset. Decolonization is not about perpetuating stateless limbo. It’s about enabling dignified self-governance within viable, sovereign frameworks. The so-called Sahrawi state has no functioning institutions, no economic future and no democratic roadmap. Meanwhile, Morocco has invested billions in its southern provinces, building roads, ports, schools and energy hubs that benefit not just locals but the broader Sahel.
Washington should see Kenya’s decision as a green light to double down on its own recognition of Moroccan sovereignty, a policy first cemented under President Donald Trump and wisely maintained in his second term. With U.S. security interests in the Sahel under constant threat from Islamist insurgents, transnational smuggling and Chinese encroachment, Morocco stands out as a beacon of pro-Western alignment and regional counterterrorism.
Kenya’s endorsement helps expand that zone of reliability. As East Africa’s economic anchor and a close U.S. ally, Nairobi’s move lends democratic credibility to Morocco’s claim while isolating Algeria, whose regime remains hostile to American influence and tethered to authoritarian partnerships with Russia and Iran. Let’s be clear. This is not about tribes and sand dunes. It’s about choosing between a future of American cooperation or a past of Soviet ghosts.
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There’s also a powerful Israeli dimension to Kenya’s move. Morocco, as a key member of the Abraham Accords, has emerged as a linchpin in Arab-Israeli normalization and regional peace. Its robust relationship with Israel, grounded in trade, security and shared values, is part of a broader U.S.-led strategy to knit together pro-Western nations across Africa and the Middle East.
Kenya’s support for Morocco can therefore be read as indirect support for this emerging alliance of moderates. In fact, Nairobi’s recent diplomatic closeness with Israel, including increased security cooperation and trade, underscores the ideological thread connecting these three nations. Openness, pragmatism and resistance to extremism.
Amine AyoubThe U.S. and its allies should seize this moment to solidify the Moroccan-Kenyan axis as a template for broader African realignment. That means incentivizing other fence-sitters from Senegal to Ghana to follow suit. It also means punishing disinformation campaigns from the Algerian deep state and its proxies, who have long abused pan-African institutions to spread division.
Africa doesn’t need another frozen conflict. It needs jobs, investment and regional coordination. Morocco’s autonomy plan, now bolstered by Kenya’s backing, offers all three. It deserves not just African validation but full Western support.
Kenya’s decision is more than a diplomatic nod. It’s a turning point. The tide is shifting away from the failed ideologies of the 1970s and toward a future rooted in development and stability. By endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan, Kenya has not just backed a country. It has backed a vision. A vision where Africa solves African problems through African pragmatism.
This is a win for Morocco. It’s a win for the West. And it’s a resounding victory for a future where Israel, Africa and the United States walk forward together, not divided by old grievances but united by shared goals.
- Amine Ayoub is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco.