UN Security Council Endorses Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal for Western Sahara - Reaction Mixed
As-salamu alaykum. The UN Security Council on Friday approved a US-backed resolution that considers Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the “most feasible” path forward for the long-running dispute, a move that drew strong criticism from Algeria. The Western Sahara, a large territory once under Spanish rule and rich in minerals, is mostly administered by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which receives support from Algeria.
The council previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to return to talks aimed at a comprehensive agreement. But under an initiative promoted by the Trump administration, the council shifted toward endorsing a proposal first presented by Rabat in 2007: Western Sahara would have a measure of autonomy while remaining under Moroccan sovereignty. The resolution passed with 11 votes in favor, none against, and three abstentions; Algeria did not take part in the vote. It states that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could form the basis for future negotiations to settle the 50-year-old conflict.
King Mohammed VI praised the decision as “historic,” saying it opens a new chapter in affirming Morocco’s connection to the Sahara. In 2020 the US formally recognized Morocco’s claim after Rabat normalized ties with Israel, and several European countries have since expressed support for Morocco’s position.
The UN’s envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, welcomed efforts to find a solution but warned the Moroccan plan lacks detail. Algeria’s ambassador criticized the text, saying it does not adequately reflect UN principles on decolonization and falls short of the aspirations of the people represented by the Polisario Front, who seek a decisive role in determining their future. The adopted resolution asks the UN Secretary-General and the envoy to negotiate based on the autonomy proposal to try to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, and it renews the UN peacekeeping mission in the area for another year.
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