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The UN Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan position regarding the contested territory, despite fierce opposition from Algeria.

Divided Decision Bolsters Moroccan Position

While Friday's vote was split, the resolution represents the strongest support yet for Moroccan plan to retain sovereignty over the region, which also has support from most EU members and a growing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Framework and Important Elements

The document refers to Moroccan proposal as a basis for negotiation. Similar to earlier resolutions, the text makes no mention of a vote on independence that contains sovereignty as an choice, which constitutes the solution traditionally supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its allies.

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

Historical Context

The territory is a phosphate-rich area of coastline arid land the area of a US state which was under Spanish control until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which functions from refugee camps in south-western Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people native to the contested territory.

Voting Patterns and Global Responses

The United States, which sponsored the resolution, guided 11 nations in deciding in support, while 3 nations – multiple nations – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's primary benefactor, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the US representative to the UN, stated the vote had been "historic" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue peace in the region".

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

Security Mission and Future Assessment

The resolution also extends the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for an additional twelve months, as has been done for over thirty years. Previous extensions, though, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its supporters' favored outcome.

The UN resolution calls on all parties involved to "take this unprecedented chance for a enduring peace." Based on developments, it asks the UN leader to review the operation's mandate within half a year.

Area Consequences and Present Situation

The change could unsettle a protracted process that for decades has eluded settlement, desdespite a UN peacekeeping operation that was designed to be short-term. Protests have ensued in indigenous refugee camps in the neighboring country this week, where residents have pledged not to give up their fight for independence.

Morocco controls almost all of Western Sahara, excluding a narrow area called the "free zone" that lies east of a Moroccan-built sand wall.

Historical Background and Current Events

A 1991-era ceasefire was intended to facilitate a vote on self-determination, but disagreements over voter eligibility prevented it from occurring.

Over the years, Morocco has transformed the contested territory, constructing a maritime facility and a long highway. Government support keep food and energy prices affordable, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in urban areas such as major settlements.

The movement ended the ceasefire in 2020 after clashes near a road the government was paving to Mauritania.

The movement has since regularly reported military activity, while Morocco has mostly denied active fighting. The United Nations calls it "low-level tensions".

Global Relations and Future Prospects

In response to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not participate in any process intending "to validate Morocco's illegal military occupation," saying resolution "cannot happen by supporting territorial claims".

The conflict represents the driving force in north African diplomacy. Morocco considers endorsement of its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it gauges its allies.

Last October, the UN representative proposed partitioning the territory, a proposal neither side agreed to. He urged the government to specify what autonomy would involve and warned that a lack of development might question the United Nations' role and "if there remains opportunity and readiness for us to remain effective."

The push to review the United Nations Mission comes as the United States slashes funding for United Nations initiatives and organizations, covering security operations.