🔗 Share this article

UN's top security body has adopted a US-backed measure that favors Morocco's position regarding the disputed territory, notwithstanding significant opposition from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Stance

Although the recent decision was divided, the measure represents the most significant support to date for Morocco's proposal to maintain sovereignty over the region, which also enjoys backing from the majority of European Union members and a increasing number of African partners.

Resolution Framework and Key Components

The document refers to Moroccan plan as a foundation for talks. Similar to previous measures, the document makes no mention of a referendum on self-determination that contains independence as an choice, which represents the solution traditionally supported by the pro-independence Polisario movement and its allies.

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

Historical Information

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich area of coastline arid land the size of a US state which was under Spain's control until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern neighboring Algeria and claims to speak for the indigenous people indigenous to the disputed territory.

Voting Patterns and Global Reactions

The US, which sponsored the resolution, led 11 countries in deciding in support, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's primary supporter, did not vote.

Mike Waltz, the American representative to the UN, said the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue peace in the region".

Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's ambassador to the UN, said that while the resolution was an advancement on earlier iterations, it "contains a number of shortcomings".

Security Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also extends the UN security mission in the territory for an additional twelve months, as has been implemented for over thirty years. Prior renewals, however, have not included a reference to Morocco and its allies' preferred resolution.

The UN resolution calls on all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting resolution." Based on developments, it requests the secretary general to review the peacekeeping mission's mandate within half a year.

Regional Consequences and Current Conditions

The change could unsettle a protracted situation that for decades has escaped resolution, notwithstanding a UN security operation that was intended to be temporary. Demonstrations have ensued in indigenous refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to abandon their fight for self-determination.

Morocco controls nearly all of the territory, excluding a thin strip known as the "liberated area" that lies east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Historical Context and Recent Developments

A 1991-era truce was intended to pave the way for a referendum on self-determination, but disagreements over participation criteria prevented it from occurring.

Through time, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed region, building a deepwater port and a long road. State support keep food and energy costs affordable, and the resident count has ballooned as Moroccan citizens establish homes in urban areas such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

Polisario withdrew from the truce in 2020 after confrontations near a road the government was constructing to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently reported security operations, while Morocco has primarily denied open conflict. The United Nations calls it "limited hostilities".

Global Diplomacy and Future Prospects

Reacting to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not join any initiative intending "to 'legitimise' Morocco's illegal military occupation," adding resolution "cannot happen by supporting expansionism".

The situation represents the central issue in north African international relations. The Moroccan government views endorsement of its proposal as a standard for how it assesses its allies.

Recently, the UN envoy proposed partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He urged Morocco to clarify what autonomy would involve and cautioned that a lack of development might raise questions about the United Nations' function and "whether there is space and readiness for us to remain effective."

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