UN Security Council supports Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara

The solution supports Morocco’s assertion to the disputed Western Sahara, a stance backed by Trump’s administration.

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a solution stating that genuine autonomy for Western Sahara nether Moroccan sovereignty could beryllium the astir feasible solution to Rabat’s 50-year struggle with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

Western Sahara, a tract of godforsaken the size of Britain, has been the country of Africa’s longest-running territorial quality since assemblage powerfulness Spain near successful 1975 and Morocco annexed the territory.

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The UNSC, successful a United States-drafted text, connected Friday called for the parties to prosecute successful negotiations based connected an autonomy program archetypal presented by Morocco to the UN successful 2007.

Morocco considers the territory its ain portion the Polisario Front seeks to found an autarkic authorities called the Sahrawi Republic.

“We impulse each parties to usage the coming weeks to travel to the array and prosecute successful superior discussions,” US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the assembly aft the ballot connected Friday. “We judge determination bid is imaginable this year, and we volition marque each effort to facilitate progress.”

Russia, China and Pakistan abstained, portion Algeria did not vote. The remaining 11 assembly members voted successful favour of the resolution, which besides renewed for 1 twelvemonth the mandate of the UN peacekeeping unit successful Western Sahara, known arsenic the UN Mission for the Referendum successful Western Sahara (MINURSO).

“The last determination connected the aboriginal cannot, indispensable not, beryllium to anyone different than the radical nether assemblage domination,” Algeria’s UN ambassador, Amar Bendjama, told the assembly aft the vote. “This substance ignores the proposals of the Polisario Front … They are a enactment to the conflict, and their sentiment indispensable beryllium heard.”

A ‘victorious chapter’

Morocco’s autonomy connection would found a section legislative, enforcement and judicial authorization for Western Sahara elected by its residents, portion Rabat would clasp jurisdiction implicit defence, overseas affairs and spiritual matters.

The Polisario alternatively wants to clasp a referendum with independency arsenic an option.

Morocco is seeking a win-win and “face-saving” solution for each the parties to the conflict, King Mohammed VI of Morocco said aft the UN vote. He urged Sahrawi refugees held successful the Polisario-run Tindouf camps successful southwestern Algeria to endorse autonomy.

The king besides renewed his telephone for a “brotherly dialogue” with Algeria and said Morocco is committed to the Maghreb Union.

“We are opening a caller and victorious section successful the process of enshrining the Moroccan quality of the Sahara, which is intended to bring this contented to a definitive close,” King Mohammed said successful a code successful which helium expressed his “immense pride”.

Thousands gathered successful the streets of Morocco’s cities to observe the vote, carrying flags and chanting patriotic slogans.

Polisario Front typical Sidi Omar said the solution does not connote immoderate designation of Moroccan sovereignty implicit Western Sahara. He said the Polisario Front enactment would measure the UN solution and marque an authoritative presumption nationalist successful owed course.

The Security Council solution besides asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to supply wrong six months “a strategical reappraisal regarding MINURSO’s aboriginal mandate, taking into relationship the result of the negotiations”.

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed enactment for Morocco’s sovereignty implicit Western Sahara successful July, saying a Moroccan autonomy program for the territory was the sole solution. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff had said the US is moving connected a bid woody betwixt Algeria and Morocco.

France made a akin move, recognising Rabat’s sovereignty implicit the territory and greenlighting investments there. In June, Britain became the 3rd UNSC subordinate to backmost autonomy nether Moroccan sovereignty. Spain has besides backed Rabat’s position, on with an expanding fig of European states, signalling a displacement successful European Union subordinate states’ overseas argumentation connected the issue.