UN Security Council backs Morocco's Western Sahara plan in divisive vote

The United Nations Security Council voted Friday to extend the mandate of its Western Sahara mission (MINURSO) for one year, while formally endorsing Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole basis for resolving the decades-old conflict, a move that has sharply divided the international community.

The resolution, drafted by the United States, passed with 11 votes in favor and 3 abstentions.

It marks a significant diplomatic shift by explicitly recognizing Morocco's 2007 Autonomy Proposal as "the sole foundation for a fair and lasting resolution."

This represents a departure from the UN's traditional emphasis on a "mutually acceptable" political solution achieved through direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front.

Algeria, South Africa, and Polisario reject outcome

The vote revealed deep fractures. Algeria, the Polisario's main backer, abstained, with its ambassador stating the text "does not accurately reflect... the UN's stance on decolonization."

South Africa's deputy ambassador echoed this, insisting the conflict "cannot be settled through a non-inclusive peace process."

A Polisario representative defiantly declared the resolution does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty and that their struggle for self-determination "will never be over."

A decades-long conflict intensifies

The resolution intensifies the diplomatic battle over Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony largely controlled by Morocco since 1975 but considered non-self-governing by the UN.

The vote signals growing Western support for the Moroccan plan since the U.S. under Donald Trump first endorsed it in 2020, further isolating the Polisario Front and its allies while leaving the fundamental question of self-determination unresolved.