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The UN Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution that favors Moroccan position regarding the disputed territory, notwithstanding significant opposition from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Stance

While Friday's decision was split, the resolution represents the strongest support to date for Moroccan plan to maintain control over the region, which additionally has backing from most European Union members and a increasing number of African nation allies.

Measure Structure and Key Components

The resolution describes Moroccan plan as a basis for negotiation. As with previous resolutions, the document makes no mention of a referendum on independence that includes sovereignty as an option, which represents the approach long supported by the pro-independence Polisario Front and its allies.

Genuine self-rule under Morocco's authority could represent a very practical resolution.

Background Context

Western Sahara is a mineral-rich area of coastline arid land the size of Colorado which was under Spain's rule until 1975. It is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario movement, which functions from temporary settlements in south-western neighboring Algeria and asserts to speak for the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Decision Patterns and International Responses

The US, which sponsored the measure, guided 11 countries in deciding in favor, while 3 nations – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. The neighboring country, the movement's primary supporter, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the US ambassador to the United Nations, stated the vote had been "significant" and would "advance the progress for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara".

The Algerian ambassador, the Algeria's representative to the United Nations, said that while the measure was an advancement on earlier iterations, it "contains a series of shortcomings".

Security Mission and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also extends the United Nations security mission in Western Sahara for another twelve months, as has been implemented for over three decades. Prior extensions, though, have not included a mention to Morocco and its allies' favored outcome.

The UN resolution urges all parties involved to "seize this unprecedented chance for a lasting resolution." Based on progress, it requests the UN leader to review the peacekeeping mission's authority within six months.

Regional Impact and Current Situation

The change could unsettle a long-stalled process that for decades has eluded resolution, notwithstanding a UN peacekeeping operation that was intended to be temporary. Demonstrations have followed in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this week, where residents have vowed not to abandon their fight for self-determination.

The Moroccan government controls almost all of Western Sahara, except for a thin strip known as the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a constructed by Morocco barrier.

Historical Context and Current Developments

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

Through time, the Moroccan government has transformed the disputed territory, building a deepwater port and a long road. State support keep basic commodity prices low, and the population has ballooned as Moroccan citizens establish homes in cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune.

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

The movement has since regularly reported security activity, while the government has mostly rejected claims of active fighting. The United Nations calls it "limited tensions".

International Relations and Coming Prospects

In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not participate in any process intending "to validate Morocco's unauthorized presence," adding peace "cannot happen by rewarding territorial claims".

The situation represents the central issue in regional diplomacy. Morocco considers support for its autonomy plan as a standard for how it gauges its international partners.

Recently, the UN representative suggested partitioning Western Sahara, a suggestion neither side accepted. He encouraged Morocco to clarify what self-rule would involve and warned that a absence of progress might question the United Nations' function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to reassess the UN operation comes as the US slashes financial support for UN programmes and agencies, including security operations.