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UN's top security body has passed a US-backed resolution that endorses Morocco's position regarding the disputed territory, notwithstanding strong opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Bolsters Moroccan Stance

While the recent vote was divided, the resolution constitutes the most significant support to date for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the territory, which additionally enjoys backing from the majority of EU members and a growing number of African nation partners.

Measure Structure and Important Components

The resolution refers to Morocco's proposal as a basis for talks. Similar to earlier resolutions, the text doesn't include a vote on self-determination that includes independence as an choice, which represents the solution long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

Real self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could represent a most feasible resolution.

Background Context

The territory is a mineral-rich stretch of coastal arid land the size of Colorado which was under Spanish control until 1975. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which functions from temporary settlements in southwestern Algeria and asserts to speak for the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Voting Results and Global Reactions

The US, which proposed the resolution, led 11 countries in voting in favor, while 3 nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. The neighboring country, Polisario's main benefactor, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the American ambassador to the UN, said the decision had been "significant" and would "advance the progress for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's representative to the United Nations, said that while the resolution was an advancement on previous iterations, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Operation and Future Assessment

The measure also extends the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the territory for another twelve months, as has been done for more than three decades. Previous extensions, however, have not contained a mention to Morocco and its supporters' preferred resolution.

The measure calls on all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented chance for a enduring resolution." Depending on progress, it requests the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Area Consequences and Current Conditions

The shift could disrupt a protracted process that for decades has eluded resolution, notwithstanding a United Nations peacekeeping operation that was designed to be temporary. Protests have followed in indigenous refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where residents have pledged not to give up their struggle for self-determination.

The Moroccan government administers almost all of Western Sahara, except for a thin area called the "free zone" that lies east of a constructed by Morocco barrier.

Past Context and Recent Events

A 1991 truce was intended to facilitate a referendum on independence, but fighting over voter eligibility prevented it from taking place.

Over the years, Morocco has developed the contested territory, constructing a maritime facility and a 656-mile road. State support keep basic commodity prices affordable, and the population has ballooned as Moroccan citizens settle in urban areas such as major settlements.

Polisario ended the ceasefire in 2020 after confrontations near a route the government was paving to Mauritania.

The group has since frequently reported security activity, while Morocco has primarily rejected claims of active fighting. The UN describes it "limited tensions".

International Diplomacy and Future Possibilities

In response to the draft resolution, Polisario stated that it would not participate in any initiative intending "to validate Morocco's unauthorized military occupation," saying peace "can never be achieved by supporting territorial claims".

The conflict constitutes the driving force in north African international relations. The Moroccan government considers endorsement of its proposal as a standard for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN envoy proposed dividing Western Sahara, a proposal neither side accepted. He encouraged the government to clarify what self-rule would entail and warned that a absence of development might raise questions about the UN's role and "whether there is space and readiness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to review the UN operation comes as the US slashes funding for UN programmes and agencies, including peacekeeping.