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The UN Security Council has passed a US-backed measure that supports Moroccan claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, despite strong opposition from Algeria.

Divided Vote Bolsters Moroccan Position

While the recent vote was split, the resolution represents the most significant support yet for Morocco's proposal to retain sovereignty over the region, which additionally enjoys support from most EU countries and a growing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Framework and Important Elements

The resolution refers to Moroccan plan as a basis for negotiation. Similar to previous resolutions, the document doesn't include a vote on independence that contains sovereignty as an option, which constitutes the solution long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its allies.

Real self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a very practical solution.

Historical Context

Western Sahara is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal arid land the size of a US state which was under Spanish rule until 1975. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which operates from refugee camps in southwestern neighboring Algeria and asserts to speak for the Sahrawi people native to the contested territory.

Decision Patterns and Global Responses

The United States, which sponsored the measure, guided eleven nations in voting in favor, while 3 nations – multiple nations – abstained. The neighboring country, the movement's primary benefactor, did not vote.

Mike Waltz, the US representative to the UN, said the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the momentum for a long, long overdue resolution in the region".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's representative to the UN, said that while the resolution was an improvement on earlier iterations, it "still has a series of deficiencies".

Security Operation and Future Review

The resolution also extends the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for an additional twelve months, as has been implemented for over three decades. Prior extensions, however, have not contained a mention to Moroccan and its supporters' preferred resolution.

The UN resolution urges all sides involved to "take this unprecedented chance for a lasting peace." Based on progress, it requests the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within six months.

Area Impact and Current Conditions

The shift could unsettle a long-stalled situation that for decades has eluded resolution, notwithstanding a United Nations security operation that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have ensued in indigenous refugee camps in the neighboring country this recent period, where people have vowed not to give up their fight for independence.

Morocco administers almost all of the territory, excluding a narrow strip called the "liberated area" that lies east of a constructed by Morocco sand wall.

Past Background and Current Developments

A 1991 truce was meant to pave the way for a vote on self-determination, but fighting over voter eligibility blocked it from taking place.

Through time, Morocco has transformed the disputed region, constructing a maritime facility and a long highway. State support keep basic commodity prices affordable, and the resident count has ballooned as Moroccan citizens establish homes in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

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

The movement has subsequently frequently reported security activity, while Morocco has mostly rejected claims of open conflict. The United Nations calls it "limited hostilities".

International Diplomacy and Coming Prospects

In response to the draft resolution, Polisario said that it would not participate in any initiative aiming "to validate Morocco's illegal presence," saying peace "cannot happen by supporting expansionism".

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

Last October, the UN representative proposed dividing Western Sahara, a suggestion no party agreed to. He urged the government to specify what self-rule would entail and cautioned that a absence of development might raise questions about the UN's role and "if there remains opportunity and readiness for us to still be useful."

The initiative to review the United Nations Mission comes as the United States reduces funding for UN programmes and organizations, including peacekeeping.