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The UN Security Council has approved a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan position regarding the contested territory, despite fierce opposition from Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Stance

Although the recent decision was split, the measure constitutes the strongest support yet for Morocco's proposal to maintain sovereignty over the territory, which additionally has backing from the majority of EU members and a growing number of African nation partners.

Resolution Framework and Key Elements

The document describes Morocco's proposal as a foundation for talks. Similar to previous measures, the text makes no mention of a referendum on independence that contains independence as an choice, which represents the approach traditionally supported by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its allies.

Genuine self-rule under Morocco's sovereignty could constitute a most practical solution.

Background Information

The territory is a mineral-rich area of coastal desert the area of a US state which was under Spain's control until 1975. It is asserted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in south-western Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people native to the disputed territory.

Voting Results and International Reactions

The US, which sponsored the resolution, guided eleven countries in voting in support, while three countries – multiple nations – declined to vote. Algeria, the movement's main supporter, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the vote had been "significant" and would "advance the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in the region".

Amar Bendjama, the Algerian representative to the UN, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on previous iterations, it "still has a number of deficiencies".

Peacekeeping Operation and Upcoming Assessment

The measure also renews the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the territory for an additional twelve months, as has been done for more than thirty years. Previous extensions, though, have not contained a reference to Moroccan and its allies' favored resolution.

The UN resolution urges all sides involved to "take this unique chance for a enduring resolution." Based on progress, it requests the secretary general to review the operation's authority within six months.

Area Consequences and Current Conditions

The shift could unsettle a protracted process that for decades has eluded resolution, desdespite a UN security mission that was intended to be short-term. Protests have followed in Sahrawi settlements in the neighboring country this week, where residents have pledged not to give up their fight for independence.

The Moroccan government controls nearly all of the territory, excluding a thin area known as the "free zone" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Historical Background and Recent Events

A 1991-era ceasefire was meant to pave the way for a referendum on self-determination, but fighting over participation criteria prevented it from occurring.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested territory, building a deepwater port and a long highway. Government subsidies keep food and energy costs low, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccans settle in cities such as major settlements.

Polisario withdrew from the truce in recent years after clashes near a route Morocco was paving to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently regularly documented security operations, while the government has primarily denied open conflict. The United Nations describes it "limited hostilities".

International Diplomacy and Coming Prospects

In response to the draft resolution, the movement said that it would not participate in any process aiming "to 'legitimise' Moroccan unauthorized presence," adding peace "cannot happen by supporting expansionism".

The conflict constitutes the driving force in north African diplomacy. The Moroccan government considers support for its autonomy plan as a benchmark for how it gauges its international partners.

Last October, the UN envoy suggested partitioning the territory, a suggestion no party agreed to. He encouraged the government to specify what autonomy would entail and warned that a absence of development might raise questions about the United Nations' function and "if there remains opportunity and willingness for us to remain useful."

The initiative to reassess the UN operation comes as the United States reduces funding for UN programmes and agencies, including security operations.