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The UN Security Council has approved a US-backed measure that endorses Moroccan claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding strong resistance from neighboring Algeria.

Divided Decision Bolsters Moroccan Position

Although the recent vote was split, the measure represents the strongest support to date for Morocco's plan to maintain sovereignty over the territory, which additionally enjoys support from most EU countries and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Resolution Framework and Important Components

The document describes Moroccan proposal as a basis for talks. As with earlier resolutions, the document doesn't include a referendum on self-determination that includes sovereignty as an option, which constitutes the approach long favored by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its allies.

Real autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a very practical solution.

Historical Information

Western Sahara is a mineral-rich area of coastal arid land the area of Colorado which was under Spanish rule until 1975. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which operates from temporary settlements in south-western neighboring Algeria and claims to speak for the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Decision Results and International Responses

The US, which sponsored the measure, led eleven nations in deciding in support, while three countries – multiple nations – declined to vote. Algeria, the movement's primary benefactor, did not participate.

Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, said the decision had been "historic" and would "advance the progress for a much-delayed peace in Western Sahara".

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

Peacekeeping Operation and Future Review

The resolution also renews the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the territory for an additional twelve months, as has been done for over thirty years. Previous renewals, though, have not included a mention to Moroccan and its allies' preferred resolution.

The measure calls on all sides involved to "take this unprecedented chance for a enduring resolution." Depending on progress, it requests the secretary general to review the operation's authority within six months.

Regional Impact and Present Conditions

The change could unsettle a protracted process that for many years has eluded resolution, notwithstanding a UN security operation that was intended to be short-term. Demonstrations have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where residents have vowed not to give up their struggle for independence.

Morocco administers nearly all of the territory, excluding a narrow strip called the "liberated area" that lies east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Past Background and Current Developments

A 1991 truce was meant to facilitate a referendum on self-determination, but disagreements over participation criteria blocked it from taking place.

Over the years, Morocco has developed the contested region, building a maritime facility and a 656-mile road. Government support keep basic commodity costs low, and the population has ballooned as Moroccan citizens settle in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

The movement ended the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a road Morocco was constructing to neighboring Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently reported military operations, while Morocco has mostly denied open conflict. The UN calls it "limited tensions".

Global Diplomacy and Future Prospects

In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not join any initiative intending "to validate Morocco's illegal military occupation," saying resolution "cannot happen by supporting territorial claims".

The conflict constitutes the driving force in regional diplomacy. Morocco considers endorsement of its proposal as a standard for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN envoy proposed partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion no party accepted. He encouraged the government to clarify what self-rule would involve and warned that a absence of progress might raise questions about the UN's function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to still be useful."

The push to reassess the UN operation comes as the United States reduces funding for UN programmes and agencies, covering security operations.