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UN's top security body has passed a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan claim regarding the disputed territory, notwithstanding significant resistance from Algeria.

Divided Decision Strengthens Moroccan Stance

Although the recent vote was divided, the resolution represents the most significant endorsement to date for Moroccan proposal to maintain control over the territory, which also enjoys backing from the majority of European Union members and a increasing number of African partners.

Measure Structure and Important Elements

The document refers to Morocco's proposal as a foundation for talks. Similar to previous resolutions, the document makes no mention of a referendum on self-determination that contains sovereignty as an option, which represents the approach long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its supporters.

Real self-rule under Moroccan authority could constitute a very practical solution.

Background Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal desert the size of Colorado which was under Spain's rule until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern Algeria and claims to speak for the Sahrawi people indigenous to the contested region.

Decision Patterns and International Reactions

The US, which sponsored the measure, led eleven countries in deciding in favor, while 3 nations – multiple nations – declined to vote. The neighboring country, Polisario's primary benefactor, did not vote.

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

The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian ambassador to the UN, commented that while the measure was an advancement on previous iterations, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Operation and Future Assessment

The measure also renews the UN security operation in the territory for an additional year, as has been implemented for more than thirty years. Previous renewals, however, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its supporters' preferred outcome.

The measure calls on all sides involved to "seize this unique opportunity for a enduring peace." Based on progress, it asks the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Area Consequences and Present Situation

The shift could unsettle a long-stalled process that for decades has eluded settlement, notwithstanding a United Nations security mission that was designed to be short-term. Demonstrations have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where people have pledged not to give up their fight for self-determination.

Morocco administers nearly all of Western Sahara, except for a thin area called the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Historical Background and Recent Developments

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

Over the years, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested region, constructing a deepwater port and a 656-mile road. Government support keep food and energy costs affordable, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in cities such as major settlements.

Polisario ended the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a road the government was paving to Mauritania.

The group has since regularly reported security activity, while Morocco has mostly rejected claims of active fighting. The UN describes it "low-level hostilities".

Global Diplomacy and Future Possibilities

In response to the proposed measure, Polisario said that it would not join any initiative intending "to validate Morocco's unauthorized presence," adding peace "cannot happen by rewarding expansionism".

The situation represents the central issue in north African international relations. The Moroccan government considers endorsement of its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it assesses its allies.

Recently, the UN envoy proposed dividing Western Sahara, a suggestion no party accepted. He encouraged the government to specify what self-rule would entail and warned that a absence of development might question the United Nations' role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain useful."

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