1. Sahara autonomy plan support
2. Shift from previous ambiguity
3. New diplomatic approach
4. Morocco’s regional diplomatic push

Peru’s newly elected President Keiko Fujimori has begun clarifying key foreign policy priorities in the early weeks following her highly contested election victory. Among these priorities is Peru’s stance on Morocco’s territorial integrity, a position that gained prominence after the Moroccan Ambassador to Peru, Amine Chaoudri, delivered a congratulatory letter from King Mohammed VI to the incoming president.

Sahara autonomy plan support

Following her meeting with the Moroccan ambassador in Lima, the president-elect informed him of her government’s decision to support Morocco’s territorial integrity and its autonomy plan for Western Sahara, according to information from her office.

Fujimori also conveyed her government’s backing for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which endorses Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a viable framework for resolving the regional dispute.

During the meeting, the Moroccan ambassador presented Fujimori with a letter from Mohammed VI congratulating her on her election. The monarch stated, “On the occasion of your election as President of the Republic of Peru, I am pleased to extend my warmest congratulations for the valuable trust you have earned from the Peruvian people to promote development and prosperity.”

The king also highlighted “the excellent relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Peru, built on strong friendship, mutual consideration, and shared values,” and pledged to work toward “giving new momentum to these relations by elevating them to a stage of multilateral partnership for the benefit of our two friendly peoples.”

Shift from previous ambiguity

President Fujimori’s stance carries significant weight and has been interpreted by analysts as a deliberate break from the ambiguity—or outright support for the Polisario Front—that characterized previous Peruvian governments on the Sahara issue.

This ambiguity dates back to the second term of President Fernando Beláunde Terry (1980-1985), whose administration recognized the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1984. His successor, Alan García, established diplomatic relations with the SADR in 1987, a relationship that persisted until 1996 when Alberto Fujimori—Keiko Fujimori’s father and then-president—suspended it.

The situation remained unchanged for the next 25 years, spanning the presidencies of Valentín Paniagua, Alejandro Toledo, Alan García’s second term, Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Martín Vizcarra, Manuel Merino, and Francisco Sagasti.

New diplomatic approach

During Pedro Castillo’s brief tenure (July 2021-December 2022), the president restored diplomatic relations with the Polisario Front in September 2021. This controversial decision was reversed in August 2022 by Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackat, who announced the withdrawal of recognition and the severance of ties with the separatist entity while reaffirming respect for Morocco’s territorial integrity.

However, President Castillo himself overturned his minister’s decision and reinstated relations with the Polisario. A few months later, Castillo was removed from office following an attempted coup to retain power.

Despite this, his successor, Dina Boluarte, maintained the status quo for several months before suspending diplomatic relations with the Polisario in September 2023. She did not, however, withdraw the recognition granted in 1984 by Fernando Belaúnde Terry, nor did she endorse Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, thus preserving an ambiguous stance on the issue.

Her successors, José Jeri and José María Balcázar, had such short terms that they did not address the matter. Fujimori’s arrival marks a return to the position adopted by her father in 1996 and goes further by endorsing both Morocco’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty over Western Sahara, the autonomy initiative, and UN Security Council Resolution 2797.

Morocco’s regional diplomatic push

Peru’s shift in position aligns with Morocco’s intensified diplomatic efforts across Latin America, where the Polisario Front had previously enjoyed considerable support.

Through economic, cultural, and academic cooperation, Morocco has forged strong ties with multiple countries in the region, positioning itself as a strategic gateway to Africa, Europe, and the Arab world. As a result, many nations that once recognized the self-proclaimed SADR have either suspended their recognition or severed diplomatic relations, including Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guyana, Ecuador, and Panama.