🔗 Share this article

UN's top security body has passed a US-backed measure that supports Morocco's position regarding the disputed Western Sahara, despite significant resistance from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Moroccan Position

Although Friday's decision was divided, the measure represents the strongest endorsement to date for Moroccan plan to retain sovereignty over the region, which also has backing from the majority of European Union countries and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Resolution Framework and Important Elements

The document refers to Moroccan plan as a foundation for negotiation. As with previous measures, the document makes no mention of a referendum on self-determination that contains sovereignty as an choice, which represents the approach long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its supporters.

Real self-rule under Moroccan authority could constitute a most practical resolution.

Historical Context

The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastline desert the size of Colorado which was under Spanish control until 1975. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which functions from refugee camps in southwestern Algeria and claims to speak for the Sahrawi people native to the disputed region.

Decision Patterns and Global Responses

The United States, which proposed the resolution, guided 11 countries in deciding in favor, while three nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. Algeria, Polisario's primary benefactor, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said 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, commented that while the measure was an advancement on earlier versions, it "still has a series of deficiencies".

Security Mission and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also renews the UN security operation in the territory for another twelve months, as has been implemented for over thirty years. Previous extensions, though, have not included a reference to Morocco and its allies' favored resolution.

The measure calls on all sides participating to "take this unprecedented chance for a enduring resolution." Depending on developments, it asks the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's authority within six months.

Regional Consequences and Current Conditions

The change could unsettle a long-stalled situation that for decades has eluded resolution, desdespite a UN peacekeeping operation that was designed to be temporary. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi settlements in Algeria this recent period, where people have vowed not to give up their fight for self-determination.

Morocco controls nearly all of the territory, excluding a narrow strip called the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a constructed by Morocco barrier.

Historical Background and Current Events

A 1991-era truce was meant to pave the way for a vote on self-determination, but disagreements over voter eligibility blocked it from occurring.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has transformed the disputed territory, constructing a maritime facility and a 656-mile highway. Government support keep food and energy prices low, and the resident count has ballooned as Moroccans establish homes in urban areas such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement ended the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a route the government was constructing to Mauritania.

The movement has subsequently regularly documented military activity, while the government has mostly rejected claims of active fighting. The United Nations describes it "low-level hostilities".

International Relations and Future Possibilities

In response to the proposed measure, Polisario said that it would not join any initiative aiming "to validate Morocco's unauthorized military occupation," saying peace "cannot happen by rewarding expansionism".

The conflict represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers support for its autonomy plan as a standard for how it gauges its allies.

Last October, the UN representative suggested dividing the territory, a proposal neither side agreed to. He urged the government to clarify what autonomy would entail and cautioned that a lack of progress might question the UN's function and "if there remains opportunity and willingness for us to still be useful."

The push to reassess the UN operation comes as the US slashes financial support for UN programmes and agencies, including peacekeeping.