UN supports Morocco’s Western Sahara Autonomy initiative
(MENAFN) The UN Security Council on Friday approved a US-backed resolution recognizing Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara as the “most feasible solution” to the long-standing territorial dispute.
Of the council’s 15 members, 11 supported the resolution, while Russia, China, and Pakistan abstained, and Algeria did not participate in the vote. The resolution also renewed the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, for another year.
The US permanent representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, described the vote as “historic,” highlighting the momentum for “a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara.” He emphasized Washington’s commitment to supporting a mutually acceptable resolution and encouraged all parties to engage in talks using Morocco’s “credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.”
Algeria’s UN representative, Amar Bendjama, explained that Algeria abstained because the draft resolution “does not sufficiently reflect” UN principles on decolonization. He added, “A just and lasting solution can only come about in presence of the respect for the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to decide on their own future. This is the only guarantee of genuine peace and of lasting stability in the region.”
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI welcomed the Council’s decision in a televised address, stating that Rabat would revise and resubmit its plan to the UN as “the sole basis for negotiations and the only viable solution to the dispute.” The king also called for dialogue with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and reiterated his commitment to revitalizing the Arab Maghreb Union.
The Western Sahara conflict has strained relations between Algeria and Morocco for roughly five decades. The dispute began in 1975 after Spain withdrew from the territory, leading to armed conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, which lasted until a ceasefire in 1991. In 2007, Morocco proposed self-rule under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front has sought an independence referendum.
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