United Nations Backs Measure Favoring Moroccan Claim on Western Sahara

UN's top security body has passed a US-backed resolution that favors Moroccan position regarding the disputed territory, despite significant resistance from neighboring Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Stance

While the recent vote was divided, the measure represents the most significant endorsement yet for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the region, which additionally enjoys backing from most European Union members and a increasing number of African partners.

Measure Structure and Key Components

The document refers to Moroccan proposal as a basis for talks. As with previous resolutions, the text doesn't include a referendum on self-determination that contains independence as an option, which represents the approach traditionally supported by the pro-independence Polisario movement and its allies.

Genuine autonomy under Morocco's authority could constitute a very practical solution.

Background Context

The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal arid land the size of a US state which was under Spain's control until 1975. It is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which functions from temporary settlements in south-western neighboring Algeria and claims to speak for the indigenous people indigenous to the disputed territory.

Voting Results and International Responses

The United States, which sponsored the measure, guided 11 nations in deciding in favor, while three nations – multiple nations – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's primary benefactor, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the US representative to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "advance the momentum for a much-delayed resolution in Western Sahara".

Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's representative to the UN, said that while the measure was an improvement on earlier versions, it "contains a series of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Mission and Future Review

The measure also extends the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for another year, as has been implemented for more than thirty years. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a reference to Morocco and its supporters' preferred resolution.

The UN resolution calls on all parties involved to "take this unique chance for a lasting resolution." Depending on developments, it requests the secretary general to assess the operation's authority within six months.

Area Consequences and Current Situation

The change could unsettle a protracted process that for decades has escaped settlement, notwithstanding a United Nations peacekeeping operation that was designed to be short-term. Protests have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to give up their fight for independence.

Morocco controls nearly all of Western Sahara, except for 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 truce was intended to facilitate a referendum on self-determination, but fighting over voter eligibility blocked it from occurring.

Through time, Morocco has developed the contested territory, constructing a maritime facility and a long highway. Government subsidies keep food and energy costs affordable, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in urban areas such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement ended the truce in 2020 after confrontations near a road Morocco was paving to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently documented security operations, while the government has primarily rejected claims of active fighting. The UN calls it "limited tensions".

Global Relations and Coming Prospects

In response to the proposed measure, Polisario stated that it would not join any initiative intending "to 'legitimise' Morocco's unauthorized presence," adding resolution "can never be achieved by rewarding territorial claims".

The conflict represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers support for its proposal as a benchmark for how it gauges its allies.

Last October, the UN representative proposed partitioning the territory, a proposal no party accepted. He encouraged Morocco to clarify what autonomy would entail and warned that a absence of development might raise questions about the UN's function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain useful."

The push to review the United Nations Mission comes as the United States reduces financial support for UN programmes and organizations, covering peacekeeping.