🔗 Share this article

The UN Security Council has adopted a US-backed resolution that supports Moroccan claim regarding the contested territory, notwithstanding strong opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Bolsters Moroccan Stance

While Friday's decision was divided, the resolution represents the strongest support to date for Moroccan plan to retain sovereignty over the territory, which additionally has backing from most European Union members and a increasing number of African allies.

Measure Framework and Important Components

The resolution describes Morocco's plan as a foundation for talks. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on self-determination that includes sovereignty as an option, which constitutes the solution traditionally supported by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its supporters.

Genuine self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a very practical solution.

Background Information

The territory is a mineral-rich area of coastal arid land the area of Colorado which was under Spain's rule until 1975. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front, which operates from temporary settlements in south-western Algeria and asserts to speak for the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Voting Patterns and International Reactions

The United States, which proposed the resolution, guided eleven countries in deciding in favor, while 3 nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's main supporter, did not participate.

Mike Waltz, the American ambassador to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the momentum for a much-delayed peace in the region".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, commented that while the measure was an advancement on earlier iterations, it "contains a number of shortcomings".

Security Mission and Upcoming Review

The resolution also extends the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for another twelve months, as has been implemented for over thirty years. Previous extensions, however, have not contained a reference to Morocco and its supporters' favored outcome.

The measure calls on all sides participating to "seize this unique chance for a lasting resolution." Based on developments, it asks the UN leader to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Area Impact and Current Situation

The shift could unsettle a protracted process that for decades has escaped settlement, desdespite a United Nations security mission that was designed to be temporary. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi settlements in the neighboring country this week, where people have pledged not to abandon their struggle for independence.

The Moroccan government controls nearly all of the territory, except for a narrow strip called the "liberated area" that lies east of a Moroccan-built sand wall.

Past Background and Current Developments

A 1991 truce was intended to facilitate a referendum on self-determination, but disagreements over voter eligibility blocked it from taking place.

Through time, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested region, building a deepwater port and a long highway. Government support keep food and energy prices affordable, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans establish homes in cities such as major settlements.

The movement ended the ceasefire in 2020 after confrontations near a road Morocco was paving to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently regularly reported security operations, while the government has mostly rejected claims of active fighting. The United Nations calls it "limited tensions".

International Relations and Future Possibilities

In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not join any initiative aiming "to validate Morocco's unauthorized military occupation," saying peace "can never be achieved by rewarding territorial claims".

The situation constitutes the driving force in regional diplomacy. Morocco considers endorsement of its autonomy plan as a standard for how it gauges its allies.

Last October, the UN representative suggested dividing the territory, a suggestion neither side accepted. He encouraged Morocco to specify what autonomy would involve and cautioned that a lack of progress might raise questions about the UN's role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain effective."

The push to reassess the UN operation comes as the United States slashes financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, covering peacekeeping.