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The UN Security Council has passed a American-supported measure that supports Morocco's claim regarding the disputed Western Sahara, notwithstanding strong resistance from neighboring Algeria.

Split Vote Bolsters Morocco's Position

Although the recent decision was split, the measure constitutes the strongest support to date for Morocco's plan to maintain control over the region, which also has support from the majority of European Union countries and a growing number of African nation partners.

Measure Framework and Key Elements

The document describes Morocco's proposal as a foundation for negotiation. As with earlier measures, the text doesn't include a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an option, which represents the approach traditionally favored by the independence-seeking Polisario Front and its allies.

Genuine self-rule under Morocco's authority could represent a most practical solution.

Historical Information

The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastline arid land the size of a US state which was under Spain's rule until the mid-1970s. It is asserted by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which functions from refugee camps in south-western neighboring Algeria and asserts to represent the Sahrawi people native to the disputed region.

Decision Results and International Responses

The US, which sponsored the measure, guided 11 countries in voting in support, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – abstained. Algeria, Polisario's main benefactor, did not vote.

The US ambassador, the American ambassador to the UN, stated the decision had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a long, long overdue resolution in the region".

Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's ambassador to the UN, commented that while the resolution was an improvement on previous versions, it "contains a number of shortcomings".

Security Mission and Future Review

The resolution also extends the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara for another year, as has been implemented for over thirty years. Previous extensions, though, have not included a mention to Morocco and its supporters' preferred resolution.

The measure calls on all sides involved to "seize this unique opportunity for a lasting resolution." Depending on progress, it asks the secretary general to assess the peacekeeping mission's mandate within half a year.

Regional Consequences and Present Situation

The shift could unsettle a long-stalled process that for many years has eluded settlement, notwithstanding a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was intended to be short-term. Protests have ensued in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where people have pledged not to abandon their struggle for independence.

Morocco administers almost all of the territory, except for a narrow area known as the "free zone" that lies to the east of a Moroccan-built barrier.

Past Background and Current Events

A 1991 ceasefire was meant to facilitate a vote on self-determination, but fighting over voter eligibility blocked it from occurring.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has transformed the contested territory, building a deepwater port and a long road. State support keep food and energy prices low, and the resident count has grown significantly as Moroccan citizens establish homes in cities such as major settlements.

The movement ended the ceasefire in recent years after confrontations near a road the government was constructing to neighboring Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently reported security operations, while the government has mostly denied active fighting. The United Nations describes it "limited hostilities".

International Relations and Future Possibilities

Reacting to the proposed measure, the movement stated that it would not join any process aiming "to validate Moroccan illegal presence," saying resolution "cannot happen by rewarding territorial claims".

The conflict represents the driving force in north African diplomacy. Morocco considers support for its proposal as a benchmark for how it gauges its allies.

Recently, the UN representative proposed dividing the territory, a suggestion neither side agreed to. He urged Morocco to clarify what autonomy would entail and warned that a absence of progress might raise questions about the United Nations' role and "whether there is space and willingness for us to still be effective."

The push to review the UN operation comes as the US reduces funding for UN programmes and organizations, covering security operations.