Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, recalled the importance of the declaration issued by the Malian Government on April 10, 2026, in which the Republic of Mali “supports the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco as the only serious and credible basis for resolving this dispute and considers genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty to be the most realistic solution.”
Diop reiterated this position in a statement to the press following his meeting on Wednesday in New York with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
He added that Bamako had “expressed its full support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797,” which he described as an “important step” toward a definitive solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
“We hope that the present [UN] General Assembly will make it possible to advance and implement this initiative,” the Malian Foreign minister went on.
He further emphasized that Mali and Morocco maintain cooperation “based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries over their respective territories, as well as respect for the territorial integrity of Morocco and respect for the territorial integrity of Mali.”
Diop also commended the strength of the “economic, historical, commercial and human ties” between Morocco and Mali, recalling in this regard the meeting of the Joint Commission for Cooperation held in Bamako last July, which “laid the foundations for very extensive cooperation across all areas, in the spirit of South-South cooperation.”
MAP:24 September 2026
