🔗 Share this article

UN's top security body has adopted a US-backed resolution that supports Morocco's claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding significant resistance from Algeria.

Divided Decision Strengthens Morocco's Position

While Friday's vote was split, the resolution constitutes the strongest endorsement to date for Moroccan proposal to maintain sovereignty over the region, which additionally enjoys support from most EU members and a growing number of African partners.

Measure Framework and Important Elements

The document refers to Morocco's proposal as a foundation for negotiation. Similar to earlier measures, the text makes no mention of a vote on independence that includes sovereignty as an option, which constitutes the approach traditionally supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its supporters.

Real autonomy under Morocco's sovereignty could represent a most feasible solution.

Historical Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastline desert the area of Colorado which was under Spain's control until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in south-western Algeria and asserts to speak for the Sahrawi people native to the contested region.

Decision Results and Global Responses

The United States, which proposed the measure, guided 11 countries in deciding in support, while 3 countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. The neighboring country, Polisario's main supporter, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the American representative to the UN, said the decision had been "historic" and would "advance the progress for a much-delayed resolution in the region".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's ambassador to the United Nations, commented that while the measure was an advancement on earlier versions, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Security Operation and Future Assessment

The measure also extends the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for another twelve months, as has been implemented for more than three decades. Previous renewals, though, have not included a mention to Moroccan and its allies' preferred resolution.

The measure urges all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented opportunity for a enduring resolution." Based on progress, it asks the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within half a year.

Regional Consequences and Present Conditions

The shift could disrupt a protracted situation that for decades has eluded settlement, desdespite a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was intended to be short-term. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where residents have pledged not to abandon their fight for independence.

The Moroccan government controls almost all of the territory, excluding a narrow area called the "liberated area" that lies east of a constructed by Morocco sand wall.

Historical Background and Recent Developments

A 1991 truce was meant to pave the way for a referendum on self-determination, but fighting over participation criteria prevented it from taking place.

Through time, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested territory, building a maritime facility and a 656-mile highway. Government support keep food and energy prices low, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccan citizens establish homes in urban areas such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement withdrew from the ceasefire in recent years after confrontations near a route the government was constructing to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently documented security operations, while Morocco has mostly rejected claims of open conflict. The UN describes it "low-level tensions".

International Diplomacy and Coming Prospects

Reacting to the proposed measure, Polisario stated that it would not join any process intending "to validate Morocco's unauthorized military occupation," saying peace "cannot happen by supporting expansionism".

The conflict represents the driving force in regional international relations. The Moroccan government views endorsement of its proposal as a benchmark for how it gauges its international partners.

Last October, the UN envoy proposed dividing the territory, a suggestion no party agreed to. He urged Morocco to specify what autonomy would entail and cautioned that a absence of development might raise questions about the United Nations' function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain useful."

The push to reassess the UN operation comes as the United States slashes financial support for United Nations initiatives and organizations, including security operations.