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UN's top security body has approved a US-backed measure that favors Moroccan claim regarding the contested territory, notwithstanding strong opposition from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Position

While Friday's vote was split, the resolution represents the most significant endorsement to date for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the region, which also has backing from most European Union members and a growing number of African partners.

Resolution Structure and Key Elements

The resolution refers to Moroccan proposal as a foundation for talks. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on self-determination that includes independence as an option, which represents the solution long favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

Genuine autonomy under Morocco's authority could represent a most practical solution.

Background Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal desert the size of a US state which was under Spain's rule until 1975. It is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern neighboring Algeria and claims to speak for the indigenous people indigenous to the contested region.

Decision Patterns and Global Responses

The United States, which proposed the measure, guided 11 countries in voting in favor, while three nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. The neighboring country, the movement's main benefactor, did not vote.

Mike Waltz, the American ambassador to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "historic" and would "advance the progress for a much-delayed peace in Western Sahara".

Amar Bendjama, the Algerian representative to the UN, said that while the resolution was an advancement on earlier versions, it "contains a number of deficiencies".

Security Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The resolution also extends the UN security operation in the territory for an additional twelve months, as has been implemented for more than thirty years. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its supporters' preferred resolution.

The UN resolution calls on all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented chance for a enduring peace." Depending on progress, it requests the UN leader to review the peacekeeping mission's authority within six months.

Regional Impact and Current Conditions

The change could unsettle a long-stalled situation that for decades has escaped settlement, notwithstanding a UN security operation that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have followed in indigenous settlements in Algeria this recent period, where people have vowed not to give up their struggle for self-determination.

The Moroccan government controls almost all of the territory, except for a thin strip known as the "liberated area" that lies east of a Moroccan-built sand wall.

Historical Background and Current Events

A 1991-era ceasefire was meant to facilitate a referendum on independence, but fighting over voter eligibility prevented it from taking place.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed territory, constructing a deepwater port and a 656-mile road. Government support keep food and energy costs low, and the population has ballooned as Moroccans settle in urban areas such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement withdrew from the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a road the government was constructing to neighboring Mauritania.

The movement has since frequently documented military operations, while Morocco has mostly denied open conflict. The UN calls it "low-level hostilities".

International Relations and Future Prospects

Reacting to the draft resolution, Polisario said that it would not participate in any initiative aiming "to 'legitimise' Moroccan illegal military occupation," adding resolution "cannot happen by rewarding territorial claims".

The conflict constitutes the central issue in regional diplomacy. Morocco considers support for its autonomy plan as a standard for how it gauges its international partners.

Recently, the UN representative proposed dividing the territory, a suggestion neither side accepted. He urged the government to specify what self-rule would involve and warned that a absence of progress might raise questions about the United Nations' function and "if there remains opportunity and readiness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to reassess the United Nations Mission comes as the United States slashes funding for UN programmes and agencies, including security operations.