🔗 Share this article

UN's top security body has adopted a US-backed measure that favors Moroccan claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, despite strong opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Strengthens Morocco's Position

While Friday's vote was split, the measure represents the most significant endorsement yet for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the territory, which additionally enjoys backing from the majority of European Union countries and a increasing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Structure and Key Elements

The document describes Moroccan proposal as a basis for negotiation. Similar to previous resolutions, the document doesn't include a referendum on independence that contains sovereignty as an choice, which constitutes the approach traditionally favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

Real self-rule under Morocco's authority could represent a most feasible resolution.

Historical Context

The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastline desert the size of Colorado which was under Spain's rule until 1975. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in south-western Algeria and claims to represent the indigenous people indigenous to the contested territory.

Voting Results and Global Responses

The US, which proposed the measure, guided eleven countries in voting in favor, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's primary benefactor, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the American representative to the United Nations, stated the decision had been "historic" and would "advance the progress for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's ambassador to the UN, said that while the resolution was an advancement on previous iterations, it "still has a series of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Mission and Future Assessment

The measure also extends the UN security mission in Western Sahara for an additional twelve months, as has been implemented for over thirty years. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its allies' preferred resolution.

The measure calls on all sides involved to "take this unique opportunity for a lasting resolution." Based on progress, it requests the secretary general to review the operation's mandate within six months.

Area Impact and Current Conditions

The shift could unsettle a protracted process that for many years has eluded resolution, notwithstanding a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to give up their struggle for independence.

Morocco administers almost all of the territory, excluding a narrow strip called the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Historical Background and Current Events

A 1991-era truce was meant to pave the way for a referendum on self-determination, but fighting over voter eligibility blocked it from taking place.

Over the years, Morocco has developed the contested territory, constructing a deepwater port and a 656-mile road. State support keep basic commodity costs low, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement withdrew from the ceasefire in recent years after clashes near a route Morocco was paving to neighboring Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently reported military activity, while Morocco has primarily rejected claims of active fighting. The UN calls it "limited hostilities".

International Relations and Future Prospects

Reacting to the proposed measure, Polisario said that it would not join any process aiming "to validate Moroccan unauthorized presence," saying peace "can never be achieved by supporting expansionism".

The conflict represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers endorsement of its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN representative proposed partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He urged the government to clarify what self-rule would involve and warned that a absence of development might question the United Nations' role and "whether there is space and readiness for us to remain effective."

The initiative to review the United Nations Mission comes as the US reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, covering security operations.