🔗 Share this article

The UN Security Council has approved a American-supported resolution that endorses Morocco's claim regarding the contested Western Sahara, notwithstanding fierce opposition from neighboring Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Moroccan Position

While the recent vote was split, the resolution constitutes the most significant support yet for Morocco's plan to maintain control over the region, which additionally has support from most European Union countries and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Resolution Framework and Important Elements

The resolution refers to Moroccan proposal as a basis for talks. As with previous measures, the text doesn't include a vote on self-determination that contains independence as an option, which represents the approach long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its supporters.

Genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could represent a very practical solution.

Historical Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal desert the area of a US state which was under Spanish control until 1975. It is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which operates from temporary settlements in southwestern Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people native to the disputed region.

Voting Patterns and Global Reactions

The US, which proposed the resolution, guided 11 nations in deciding in favor, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's primary supporter, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the US representative to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in Western Sahara".

Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's representative to the UN, said that while the resolution was an advancement on previous iterations, it "still has a number of deficiencies".

Security Mission and Future Review

The measure also extends the UN security operation in the territory for an additional year, as has been done for over three decades. Previous renewals, however, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its allies' favored resolution.

The UN resolution urges all sides participating to "seize this unprecedented opportunity for a enduring resolution." Based on developments, it requests the UN leader to assess the operation's authority within half a year.

Regional Consequences and Current Conditions

The shift could unsettle a protracted situation that for decades has escaped settlement, notwithstanding a United Nations peacekeeping operation that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have followed in indigenous refugee camps in Algeria this week, where people have pledged not to abandon their fight for self-determination.

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

Past Context and Recent Events

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

Through time, Morocco has transformed the disputed region, constructing a deepwater port and a long highway. Government support keep basic commodity costs affordable, and the resident count has ballooned as Moroccans settle in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

Polisario withdrew from the truce in recent years after clashes near a route the government was paving to neighboring Mauritania.

The group has since frequently documented military operations, while the government has mostly rejected claims of active fighting. The UN describes it "low-level tensions".

Global Diplomacy and Future Possibilities

Reacting to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not join any initiative aiming "to 'legitimise' Moroccan unauthorized military occupation," adding peace "cannot happen by supporting territorial claims".

The situation constitutes the central issue in north African international relations. Morocco considers support for its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it assesses its allies.

Recently, the UN envoy proposed dividing Western Sahara, a proposal no party accepted. He encouraged the government to clarify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a lack of development might question the UN's role and "whether there is space and readiness for us to still be effective."

The initiative to review the UN operation comes as the United States slashes financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, covering security operations.