🔗 Share this article UN Backs Measure Favoring Morocco's Claim on Disputed Territory UN's top security body has adopted a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan position regarding the contested territory, notwithstanding significant opposition from neighboring Algeria. Split Decision Strengthens Moroccan Position Although the recent decision was split, the measure constitutes the most significant support to date for Morocco's proposal to maintain sovereignty over the territory, which also enjoys support from the majority of EU members and a growing number of African allies. Measure Framework and Important Components The resolution refers to Moroccan plan as a basis for talks. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a referendum on self-determination that includes sovereignty as an choice, which represents the approach traditionally favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies. Real autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a most feasible resolution. Background Information The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal desert the size of a US state which was under Spain's control until the mid-1970s. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which operates from temporary settlements in southwestern Algeria and claims to represent the Sahrawi people native to the disputed region. Voting Patterns and International Responses The US, which proposed the measure, guided 11 nations in voting in support, while 3 countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's main supporter, did not participate. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a much-delayed peace in Western Sahara". The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian representative to the United Nations, said that while the resolution was an advancement on earlier iterations, it "still has a number of deficiencies". Security Operation and Upcoming Assessment The measure also renews the UN peacekeeping operation in the territory for another twelve months, as has been implemented for more than three decades. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its supporters' favored outcome. The UN resolution calls on all sides participating to "take this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting resolution." Depending on developments, it requests the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's authority within six months. Regional Consequences and Present Conditions The shift could unsettle a protracted situation that for decades has escaped resolution, notwithstanding a UN peacekeeping operation that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have pledged not to give up their fight for self-determination. The Moroccan government controls nearly all of Western Sahara, except for a narrow strip known as the "free zone" that lies east of a constructed by Morocco barrier. Historical Background and Current Events A 1991 ceasefire was meant to facilitate a referendum on independence, but fighting over voter eligibility blocked it from taking place. Through time, Morocco has transformed the disputed region, building a deepwater port and a long highway. State support keep basic commodity costs affordable, and the population has ballooned as Moroccans establish homes in urban areas such as major settlements. The movement ended the truce in 2020 after confrontations near a road the government was constructing to neighboring Mauritania. The movement has since frequently reported security operations, while the government has primarily rejected claims of open conflict. The UN describes it "low-level hostilities". Global Diplomacy and Future Possibilities In response to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not join any process aiming "to 'legitimise' Moroccan illegal presence," saying peace "cannot happen by supporting expansionism". The situation constitutes the driving force in north African international relations. The Moroccan government considers endorsement of its proposal as a standard for how it assesses its international partners. Last October, the UN envoy suggested partitioning the territory, a suggestion no party agreed to. He urged the government to specify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a absence of progress might question the United Nations' role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to still be effective." The push to review the United Nations Mission comes as the United States reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and organizations, covering security operations.