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UN's top security body has approved a US-backed measure that favors Morocco's position regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding fierce opposition from Algeria.

Split Decision Bolsters Moroccan Position

While the recent vote was divided, the resolution constitutes the most significant support yet for Moroccan plan to retain sovereignty over the region, which additionally has support from most European Union countries and a growing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Structure and Key Elements

The resolution describes Moroccan plan as a basis for talks. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on independence that contains independence as an choice, which represents the solution long supported by the pro-independence Polisario movement and its allies.

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

Background Information

The territory is a mineral-rich stretch of coastline desert the size of a US state which was under Spanish control until the mid-1970s. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which operates from refugee camps in south-western Algeria and claims to represent the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Voting Results and International Responses

The US, which proposed the resolution, guided eleven nations in voting in favor, while three countries – multiple nations – declined to vote. The neighboring country, the movement's primary benefactor, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the American representative to the United Nations, stated the decision had been "historic" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in the region".

Amar Bendjama, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, said that while the resolution was an advancement on previous versions, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also renews the UN security mission in Western Sahara for another year, as has been implemented for over three decades. Previous extensions, though, have not included a mention to Moroccan and its supporters' favored outcome.

The UN resolution urges all sides participating to "take this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting resolution." Depending on progress, it asks the UN leader to review the peacekeeping mission's mandate within half a year.

Regional Consequences and Current Situation

The change could unsettle a protracted situation that for decades has escaped resolution, notwithstanding a UN peacekeeping operation that was intended to be temporary. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in the neighboring country this recent period, where people have vowed not to abandon their fight for independence.

Morocco administers almost all of the territory, except for a thin strip called the "free zone" that lies to the east of a constructed by Morocco barrier.

Past Background and Recent Events

A 1991-era truce was intended to pave the way for a referendum on self-determination, but fighting over voter eligibility prevented it from occurring.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested region, building a maritime facility and a long road. Government subsidies keep basic commodity prices low, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccan citizens settle in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement withdrew from the truce in 2020 after confrontations near a route Morocco was paving to neighboring Mauritania.

The group has subsequently regularly documented military activity, while Morocco has mostly rejected claims of open conflict. The UN calls it "low-level tensions".

Global Relations and Future Possibilities

Reacting to the proposed measure, the movement said that it would not join any initiative aiming "to 'legitimise' Morocco's illegal presence," adding resolution "cannot happen by rewarding territorial claims".

The conflict constitutes the central issue in north African international relations. Morocco views support for its autonomy plan as a standard for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN representative suggested partitioning the territory, a suggestion neither side accepted. He encouraged the government to specify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a lack of progress might question the UN's role and "whether there is space and readiness for us to still be effective."

The push to review the UN operation comes as the United States slashes funding for United Nations initiatives and organizations, covering peacekeeping.