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The UN Security Council has adopted a American-supported resolution that supports Moroccan claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding fierce resistance from neighboring Algeria.

Split Decision Strengthens Moroccan Position

Although the recent vote was split, the resolution constitutes the strongest support to date for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the territory, which also has support from the majority of EU countries and a increasing number of African partners.

Resolution Structure and Important Elements

The document refers to Morocco's proposal as a foundation for talks. Similar to earlier resolutions, the text makes no mention of a referendum on independence that includes independence as an choice, which represents the approach traditionally favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

Genuine self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty could represent a very practical solution.

Historical Information

The territory is a mineral-rich area of coastal arid land 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 movement, which functions from temporary settlements in south-western Algeria and claims to speak for the Sahrawi people indigenous to the contested region.

Voting Results and Global Reactions

The United States, which proposed the resolution, led 11 nations in voting in support, while three nations – multiple nations – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's main supporter, did not participate.

Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the momentum for a much-delayed peace in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian representative to the United Nations, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on previous iterations, it "still has a series of deficiencies".

Peacekeeping Operation and Upcoming Review

The resolution also renews the United Nations security operation in the territory for an additional twelve months, as has been done for more than thirty years. Prior extensions, however, have not included a mention to Moroccan and its allies' favored outcome.

The UN resolution urges all sides participating to "take this unprecedented opportunity for a enduring resolution." Depending on developments, it requests the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Area Consequences and Present Situation

The change could unsettle a protracted process that for many years has escaped settlement, desdespite a UN security operation that was designed to be short-term. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi settlements in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to give up their fight for independence.

Morocco controls nearly all of the territory, excluding a thin strip called the "free zone" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Past Background and Current Events

A 1991 truce was intended to facilitate a vote on self-determination, but disagreements over voter eligibility blocked it from taking place.

Through time, Morocco has transformed the disputed territory, building a maritime facility and a long highway. Government support keep basic commodity costs affordable, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccans establish homes in cities such as major settlements.

Polisario withdrew from the truce in 2020 after clashes near a route the government was constructing to Mauritania.

The movement has subsequently frequently documented military operations, while the government has mostly rejected claims of open conflict. The UN describes it "low-level hostilities".

Global Relations and Future Prospects

Reacting to the draft resolution, Polisario stated that it would not participate in any initiative intending "to 'legitimise' Morocco's illegal military occupation," adding peace "can never be achieved by rewarding expansionism".

The situation constitutes the central issue in north African international relations. Morocco views endorsement of its proposal as a benchmark for how it assesses its international partners.

Last October, the UN envoy proposed partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He encouraged the government to clarify what self-rule would involve and warned that a lack of progress might question the UN's function and "if there remains opportunity and willingness for us to still be useful."

The initiative to reassess the United Nations Mission comes as the US reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and agencies, including peacekeeping.