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The UN Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution that favors Moroccan position regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding significant opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Strengthens Moroccan Stance

Although Friday's vote was split, the measure constitutes the most significant support to date for Moroccan proposal to retain sovereignty over the region, which additionally has backing from most EU countries and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Resolution Framework and Key Elements

The resolution refers to Morocco's plan as a foundation for talks. Similar to previous resolutions, the document makes no mention of a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an choice, which represents the approach long favored by the pro-independence Polisario movement and its allies.

Genuine self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a very practical solution.

Historical Information

The territory is a mineral-rich area of coastline desert the size of Colorado which was under Spanish rule until the mid-1970s. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern neighboring Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people indigenous to the disputed territory.

Voting Patterns and International Responses

The US, which proposed the resolution, led eleven countries in deciding in support, while three countries – multiple nations – declined to vote. Algeria, the movement's main benefactor, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the US representative to the United Nations, said the decision had been "historic" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara".

Amar Bendjama, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on earlier versions, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Security Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also extends the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another year, as has been done for more than three decades. Previous extensions, however, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its supporters' favored outcome.

The UN resolution calls on all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting resolution." Based on progress, it asks the UN leader to assess the peacekeeping mission's authority within six months.

Regional Consequences and Present Situation

The shift could disrupt a long-stalled situation that for decades has escaped resolution, notwithstanding a UN security operation that was designed to be temporary. Protests have ensued in indigenous refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to abandon their struggle for self-determination.

Morocco controls nearly all of the territory, except for a thin area known as the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built sand wall.

Historical Background and Recent Events

A 1991 ceasefire was intended to facilitate a referendum on independence, but fighting over participation criteria prevented it from occurring.

Through time, Morocco has developed the disputed territory, constructing a deepwater port and a long highway. Government support keep food and energy costs affordable, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans establish homes in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

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

The group has since regularly reported military operations, while the government has primarily denied active fighting. The UN calls it "limited hostilities".

Global Relations and Future Prospects

In response to the draft resolution, Polisario stated that it would not join any process aiming "to 'legitimise' Morocco's illegal presence," saying peace "can never be achieved by supporting expansionism".

The conflict represents the driving force in north African diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers endorsement of its proposal as a standard for how it gauges its international partners.

Last October, the UN representative suggested partitioning Western Sahara, a proposal no party accepted. He encouraged Morocco to clarify what self-rule would involve and warned that a lack of development might raise questions about the UN's function and "whether there is space and readiness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to review the UN operation comes as the US reduces funding for United Nations initiatives and organizations, including security operations.