United Nations Backs Morocco's Sovereignty War over Western Sahara

The United Nations (UN) Security Council has approved a US-backed resolution declaring Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara toward resolving the long-standing dispute. The U.S.-sponsored resolution, which passed with 11 votes in favor and three abstentions from Russia, China, and Pakistan, offers a major diplomatic win for Morocco and a shift in tone from previous U.N. actions. Algeria, the main supporter of the pro-independence Polisario Front, did not participate in the vote. The resolution refers to Morocco’s autonomy plan as the “basis for negotiation” and omits any mention of a long-discussed referendum on self-determination that could include independence — a move strongly opposed by Algeria, Russia, and China. It states that “genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution.” The council also renewed the mandate of the Western Sahara peacekeeping force, known as MINURSO, for a year. US permanent representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, said Washington welcomed the "historic vote, which seizes upon this unique moment and builds on the momentum for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara." The US is "deeply committed" to supporting a mutually acceptable solution in the Western Sahara, and to resolving the long standing issue, Waltz said. "We urge all parties to use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions, using Morocco's credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute," he added. Separately, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI welcomed the Council’s resolution, declaring in a televised address that Rabat would update and resubmit the plan to the UN as “the sole basis for negotiations and the only viable solution to the dispute.” The king called for dialogue with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and reaffirmed his commitment to reviving the Arab Maghreb Union. Polisario’s U.N. envoy Sidi Mohamed Omar thanked allies who abstained, stressing that “today’s resolution does not imply recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.” Algeria’s U.N. ambassador, Amar Bendjama, said the text showed “some improvement” but still had “a number of shortcomings.” Western Sahara, a phosphate-rich desert roughly the size of Colorado, was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco and the Polisario Front have disputed control ever since, with Morocco now governing most of the region and Polisario operating from refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. The vote also renewed the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another year — a mission initially established in 1991 to oversee a ceasefire and organize a referendum on self-determination that never materialized. The decision follows renewed U.S. engagement in the region. Earlier this month, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on CBS’ 60 Minutes that peace between Morocco and Algeria could be reached within 60 days, while senior adviser Massad Boulos reaffirmed American support for Morocco’s plan in an interview with Sky News Arabia. Demonstrations broke out this week in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, where protesters condemned the U.N. decision and vowed to continue their struggle for independence. Morocco, which controls nearly all of Western Sahara except a narrow “free zone” east of a defensive sand wall, has invested heavily in the area with infrastructure projects, including a deepwater port and a 1,055-kilometer highway. Polisario withdrew from the 1991 ceasefire in 2020, accusing Morocco of violating the terms, and intermittent clashes have continued since. The Western Sahara issue has been a source of tensions between Algeria and Morocco for about five decades. The issue began in 1975 after the Spanish colonial withdrawal from the region, and the conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front turned into an armed struggle that lasted until 1991 when a ceasefire agreement was signed. In 2007, Morocco proposed self-rule for the area under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front called for an independence referendum.