Trump Envoys Float Rapid Deal
Appearing on the CBS segment ’60 Minutes Overtime’, American real-estate executive Steve Witkoff, introduced as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, declared that an accord between Algeria and Morocco was ‘in the works’ and could be sealed ‘within the next sixty days.’
Seated beside Jared Kushner, the former presidential adviser and Trump’s son-in-law, Witkoff told the audience that a breakthrough would “end the diplomatic rift” separating the Maghreb neighbours, suggesting that Washington’s informal team is “currently working” on proposals to bridge decades of mutual mistrust.
Decades of Tension over Western Sahara
The optimism coming from the television studio clashes with the tangled history behind the Algerian-Moroccan stalemate, centred on Western Sahara, a vast desert territory administered de facto by Rabat since 1979 while Algiers backs the Polisario Front’s bid for independence.
The dispute has for decades frozen bilateral relations: borders remain closed, joint projects stalled and regional meetings overshadowed by accusations traded from one capital to the other, each side citing the Sahara dossier as the central obstacle to normalisation.
Since 1979, Morocco has administered Western Sahara, integrating it into national infrastructure, while Algeria has consistently supported the Polisario’s independence claims, seeing the issue as one of decolonisation; this divergent framing has hardened public opinion on both sides over time.
Should talks advance, the central knot will remain the future status of the territory and the respective narratives: Moroccan sovereignty versus Sahrawi self-determination backed by Algeria.
Algerian Media React with Caution
Algerian outlet Le Matin d’Algérie described Witkoff’s projection as ‘historic’ if realised, yet swiftly reminded readers that neither he nor Kushner holds an official position in the current United States administration, a nuance likely to temper expectations (Le Matin d’Algérie).
The news site TSA went further, branding the statement ‘étrange’ and hinting that domestic audiences in Algiers are sceptical of external promises that appear to sidestep the central role of the UN-sponsored negotiation track (TSA).
Their lack of official status leads commentators to question whether the initiative reflects current U.S. foreign policy or rather a private diplomacy effort with limited institutional backing.
In Algiers, TSA’s description of the announcement as ‘étrange’ captures a broader wariness toward pronouncements that emerge from outside recognised international frameworks; for many Algerians the United Nations process, despite its slow pace, remains the only venue seen as legitimate.
By contrast, Le Matin d’Algérie’s cautiously hopeful tone hints at a recognition that fresh actors, even unofficial ones, can sometimes shake entrenched files; the key question is whether the promise of business-style pragmatism will survive first contact with an issue anchored in identity politics.
Potential Impact on Maghreb Dynamics
Observers recall that Le Matin d’Algérie itself called a possible accord a ‘historic turning point’, an assessment that underlines how significant a thaw between the neighbours would be, even if the prospect currently rests on remarks delivered from a television studio.
The language contrasts with the habitual diplomatic chill, emphasising how a credible pathway to compromise would reshape the tone of inter-Maghreb relations.
Yet in a media cycle hungry for positive headlines, the suggestion of rapprochement travelled quickly across social networks in both countries, illustrating how even unofficial statements can influence public expectations.
Regardless of official reactions, the CBS interview has placed the Western Sahara dossier back into the centre of American media, an arena where it is seldom discussed, and this visibility alone may pressure diplomatic actors to clarify their positions in the coming weeks.
Sixty Days on the Clock
Witkoff framed the timeline as brisk, stressing that his team is already ‘engaged’ and repeating the pledge of an accord within two months, yet he refrained from revealing the content of any draft compromises.
Kushner, seated alongside, did not contradict the forecast, lending additional weight to the promise through his own White House experience despite no formal mandate in the current administration.
Sixty days is a narrow window in diplomatic terms, making transparency over progress difficult; neither Witkoff nor Kushner provided a roadmap, fuelling speculation in newsrooms from Algiers to Casablanca.
Le Matin d’Algérie cautioned readers that previous hints of detente have often evaporated once the Western Sahara question resurfaces, a reminder that symbolic gestures rarely survive without a mutually acceptable formula (Le Matin d’Algérie).
For Algiers and Rabat, the next sixty days will test whether the broadcasted optimism converts into discreet follow-up talks or fades into another unrealised headline.
