🔗 Share this article

UN's top security body has adopted a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan claim regarding the contested territory, despite strong opposition from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Moroccan Stance

While the recent vote was divided, the resolution constitutes the most significant endorsement to date for Moroccan proposal to maintain control over the territory, which also enjoys backing from the majority of EU countries and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Resolution Structure and Key Components

The resolution refers to Morocco's proposal as a foundation for negotiation. As with previous measures, the document doesn't include a referendum on self-determination that contains sovereignty as an choice, which constitutes the approach long supported by the pro-independence Polisario Front and its supporters.

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

Historical Information

The territory is a phosphate-rich area of coastline desert the size of Colorado which was under Spanish rule until 1975. It is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which functions from temporary settlements in south-western Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people indigenous to the contested territory.

Voting Patterns and International Reactions

The US, which proposed the resolution, led eleven countries in voting in favor, while 3 nations – multiple nations – declined to vote. Algeria, Polisario's primary benefactor, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the American representative to the UN, stated the decision had been "historic" and would "build on the momentum for a much-delayed resolution in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, said that while the resolution was an improvement on previous iterations, it "still has a series of deficiencies".

Peacekeeping Mission and Future Assessment

The resolution also renews the UN security mission in Western Sahara for an additional twelve months, as has been implemented for more than three decades. Prior extensions, though, have not included a mention to Moroccan and its allies' favored resolution.

The UN resolution urges all sides participating to "seize this unique chance for a lasting peace." Based on developments, it requests the secretary general to assess the operation's mandate within six months.

Area Impact and Present Situation

The change could disrupt a long-stalled process that for many years has eluded settlement, desdespite a UN security operation that was intended to be short-term. Protests have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where residents have pledged not to abandon their struggle for independence.

The Moroccan government controls nearly all of Western Sahara, excluding a narrow area known as the "free zone" that lies east of a constructed by Morocco sand wall.

Historical Background and Recent Events

A 1991 truce was intended to pave the way for a vote on independence, but disagreements over participation criteria prevented it from taking place.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed region, constructing 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 cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

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

The movement has since frequently reported security operations, while the government has primarily denied open conflict. The United Nations calls it "limited tensions".

International Relations and Coming Possibilities

In response to the proposed measure, Polisario stated that it would not participate in any process aiming "to 'legitimise' Moroccan illegal presence," adding peace "cannot happen by rewarding expansionism".

The conflict represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers support for its proposal as a benchmark for how it assesses its international partners.

Last October, the UN envoy proposed partitioning the territory, a proposal no party accepted. He encouraged the government to specify what autonomy would involve and warned that a lack of progress might raise questions about the United Nations' function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to still be useful."

The initiative to reassess the UN operation comes as the United States reduces funding for United Nations initiatives and organizations, including peacekeeping.