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The UN Security Council has approved a US-backed resolution that supports Moroccan position regarding the contested Western Sahara, notwithstanding fierce opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Bolsters Moroccan Position

Although the recent decision was divided, the measure constitutes the most significant endorsement yet for Moroccan proposal to retain control over the region, which additionally enjoys support from most EU countries and a growing number of African allies.

Resolution Structure and Key Elements

The resolution describes Morocco's proposal as a basis for negotiation. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a referendum on independence that includes sovereignty as an option, which represents the solution long favored by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

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

Background Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich area of coastal arid land the size of a US state which was under Spanish rule until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern neighboring Algeria and claims to represent the indigenous people indigenous to the disputed territory.

Decision Patterns and International Reactions

The United States, which proposed the resolution, guided eleven countries in voting in support, while 3 countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. Algeria, the movement's main benefactor, did not participate.

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

The Algerian ambassador, the Algerian representative to the UN, said that while the measure was an improvement on previous iterations, it "contains a number of deficiencies".

Peacekeeping Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The resolution also renews the UN security mission in Western Sahara for an additional twelve months, as has been done for over three decades. Prior renewals, however, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its allies' favored outcome.

The UN resolution calls on all sides participating to "seize this unprecedented chance for a lasting peace." Depending on developments, it asks the UN leader to assess the operation's mandate within six months.

Regional Consequences and Current Situation

The change could disrupt a long-stalled process that for decades has escaped settlement, desdespite a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was designed to be short-term. Demonstrations have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in the neighboring country this week, where people have vowed not to abandon their fight for self-determination.

Morocco controls almost all of the territory, excluding a thin area known as the "free zone" that lies east of a Moroccan-built sand wall.

Historical Context and Current Events

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

Over the years, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed territory, building a maritime facility and a 656-mile road. State support keep basic commodity prices low, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccan citizens establish homes in cities such as major settlements.

The movement ended the ceasefire in recent years after clashes near a route Morocco was constructing to neighboring Mauritania.

The movement has since regularly reported security activity, while the government has primarily denied active fighting. The UN calls it "limited tensions".

Global Diplomacy and Coming Possibilities

In response to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not join any initiative aiming "to validate Moroccan unauthorized presence," saying resolution "cannot happen by rewarding territorial claims".

The situation represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers support for its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it gauges its allies.

Recently, the UN representative proposed partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He urged Morocco to specify what self-rule would entail and warned that a lack of development might question the UN's role and "whether there is space and readiness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to reassess the UN operation comes as the US reduces funding for United Nations initiatives and organizations, covering security operations.