UN Endorses Measure Supporting Moroccan Claim on Disputed Territory

The UN Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution that favors Morocco's claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, despite significant resistance from neighboring Algeria.

Divided Decision Strengthens Moroccan Stance

While the recent vote was split, the resolution constitutes the strongest endorsement to date for Moroccan proposal to maintain control over the territory, which also has support from the majority of EU members and a increasing number of African partners.

Resolution Framework and Key Components

The document refers to Morocco's proposal as a foundation for talks. Similar to previous resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on self-determination that includes sovereignty as an option, which constitutes the solution long favored by the pro-independence Polisario Front and its allies.

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

Background Information

The territory is a phosphate-rich area of coastal arid land the area of a US state which was under Spain's control until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which operates from temporary settlements in south-western neighboring Algeria and claims to represent the Sahrawi people indigenous to the disputed territory.

Voting Patterns and Global Responses

The United States, which sponsored the resolution, guided 11 countries in voting in favor, while 3 countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's primary supporter, did not participate.

Mike Waltz, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in the region".

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

Peacekeeping Mission and Upcoming Review

The measure also renews the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for another year, as has been done for over thirty years. Previous renewals, however, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its allies' preferred resolution.

The UN resolution urges all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented opportunity for a enduring peace." Depending on progress, it requests the secretary general to review the operation's mandate within six months.

Regional Impact and Present Conditions

The change could unsettle a long-stalled process that for decades has eluded settlement, desdespite a UN security mission that was intended to be short-term. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi settlements in Algeria this recent period, where residents have vowed not to give up their struggle for self-determination.

The Moroccan government controls almost all of Western Sahara, excluding a narrow area known as the "free zone" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Past Background and Recent Developments

A 1991-era ceasefire was intended to pave the way for a referendum on independence, but fighting over participation criteria prevented it from taking place.

Over the years, Morocco has transformed the contested region, building a maritime facility and a long highway. Government support keep basic commodity prices affordable, and the population has ballooned as Moroccans settle in urban areas such as major settlements.

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

The movement has subsequently regularly documented security operations, while Morocco has mostly rejected claims of open conflict. The UN describes it "limited tensions".

International Diplomacy and Coming Prospects

In response to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not join any process intending "to validate Morocco's illegal military occupation," adding peace "can never be achieved by supporting expansionism".

The conflict constitutes the driving force in north African diplomacy. The Moroccan government views support for its proposal as a standard for how it assesses its international partners.

Last October, the UN representative suggested dividing Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He encouraged the government to clarify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a lack of development might question the United Nations' role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain effective."

The push to reassess the United Nations Mission comes as the United States reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, covering security operations.