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UN's top security body has passed a American-supported measure that favors Morocco's claim regarding the contested territory, despite strong resistance from Algeria.

Split Vote Strengthens Morocco's Stance

While Friday's vote was divided, the measure represents the most significant support to date for Moroccan proposal to maintain sovereignty over the territory, which additionally enjoys support from most EU members and a growing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Structure and Key Elements

The document refers to Moroccan plan as a foundation for talks. Similar to earlier measures, the text makes no mention of a vote on self-determination that includes independence as an option, which represents the approach long supported by the pro-independence Polisario movement and its allies.

Real autonomy under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution.

Historical Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastline desert the area of a US state which was under Spain's control until the mid-1970s. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which functions from refugee camps in south-western neighboring Algeria and asserts to represent the indigenous people indigenous to the contested region.

Voting Patterns and International Reactions

The United States, which proposed the resolution, guided eleven countries in deciding in favor, while 3 nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's main supporter, did not vote.

Mike Waltz, the American representative to the United Nations, stated the decision had been "historic" and would "advance the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's representative to the UN, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on previous iterations, it "still has a number of shortcomings".

Peacekeeping Mission and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also renews the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the territory for an additional year, as has been implemented for more than three decades. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its allies' favored outcome.

The measure calls on all parties participating to "take this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting peace." Depending on progress, it asks the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Regional Impact and Current Situation

The shift could unsettle a protracted process that for decades has eluded settlement, notwithstanding a UN peacekeeping operation that was intended to be temporary. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi settlements in Algeria this week, where people have pledged not to abandon their fight for independence.

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

Historical Background and Recent Events

A 1991 ceasefire was intended to facilitate a vote on self-determination, but fighting over participation criteria blocked it from taking place.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed region, building a maritime facility and a long road. Government support keep basic commodity costs low, and the population has grown significantly as Moroccans establish homes in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

Polisario ended the truce in 2020 after clashes near a route Morocco was constructing to Mauritania.

The group has since frequently documented security operations, while the government has mostly denied active fighting. The United Nations calls it "low-level tensions".

International Relations and Future Possibilities

In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not participate in any initiative aiming "to 'legitimise' Morocco's illegal military occupation," saying peace "can never be achieved by rewarding expansionism".

The conflict constitutes the central issue in regional diplomacy. Morocco considers support for its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN representative suggested partitioning the territory, a suggestion no party agreed to. He urged the government to clarify what autonomy would involve and warned that a absence of development might raise questions about the UN's function and "if there remains opportunity and readiness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to reassess the United Nations Mission comes as the US slashes financial support for UN programmes and organizations, including security operations.