🔗 Share this article United Nations Endorses Resolution Supporting Moroccan Claim on Western Sahara UN's top security body has approved a US-backed resolution that endorses Morocco's position regarding the contested Western Sahara, notwithstanding strong opposition from Algeria. Split Decision Bolsters Moroccan Stance Although Friday's vote was divided, the measure constitutes the most significant support to date for Moroccan plan to maintain control over the region, which additionally enjoys backing from most EU members and a increasing number of African partners. Resolution Structure and Important Components The resolution describes Moroccan proposal as a foundation for negotiation. Similar to earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on independence that includes independence as an choice, which represents the solution traditionally favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies. Real self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution. Historical Context Western Sahara is a mineral-rich area of coastline desert the size of Colorado which was under Spanish rule until 1975. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front, which functions from refugee camps in southwestern Algeria and asserts to speak for the Sahrawi people indigenous to the disputed region. Voting Results and Global Reactions The US, which sponsored the resolution, led 11 countries in deciding in support, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. The neighboring country, Polisario's main supporter, did not vote. The US ambassador, the American representative to the UN, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the momentum for a much-delayed peace in Western Sahara". Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's representative to the UN, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on earlier iterations, it "still has a series of deficiencies". Security Mission and Future Review The measure also renews the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another year, as has been done for over three decades. Previous renewals, though, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its allies' favored outcome. The measure urges all sides involved to "take this unique chance for a lasting resolution." Depending on progress, it asks the UN leader to review the operation's authority within six months. Area Impact and Present Situation The change could disrupt a protracted situation that for decades has eluded resolution, desdespite a UN security mission that was intended to be temporary. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in the neighboring country this week, where people have pledged not to give up their struggle for independence. Morocco controls almost all of Western Sahara, excluding a narrow area called the "free zone" that lies east of a Moroccan-built sand wall. Historical Context and Recent Developments A 1991-era ceasefire was intended to facilitate a vote on independence, but fighting over voter eligibility prevented it from occurring. Through time, the Moroccan government has transformed the disputed region, building a deepwater port and a 656-mile highway. State subsidies keep basic commodity prices affordable, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in cities such as major settlements. Polisario withdrew from the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a road the government was constructing to neighboring Mauritania. The group has since regularly reported security operations, while the government has mostly denied open conflict. The United Nations describes it "limited hostilities". International Diplomacy and Coming Possibilities In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not join any initiative intending "to 'legitimise' Moroccan unauthorized presence," saying resolution "cannot happen by supporting expansionism". The situation represents the driving force in regional international relations. Morocco considers support for its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it gauges its allies. Recently, the UN representative proposed partitioning the territory, a proposal no party agreed to. He encouraged the government to specify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a absence of development might question the UN's role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain useful." The push to review the United Nations Mission comes as the US reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, including security operations.