The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a significant resolution on Friday, which posits that genuine autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty “could constitute a most feasible solution” to the decades-long conflict over the territory. This voting moment arrives amid ongoing tensions between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which advocates for an independent state.
Morocco asserts that the Western Sahara region is part of its territory, having proposed an autonomy plan to the United Nations in 2007. This plan aims to provide a local legislative, executive, and judicial authority, elected by the inhabitants of Western Sahara, while Morocco would retain control over defense, foreign affairs, and religious matters. In contrast, the Polisario Front calls for a referendum that includes full independence as an option.
The resolution, drafted by the United States, is facing scrutiny regarding its acceptance from the council’s veto powers, including Russia and China. For the resolution to pass, it requires a minimum of nine affirmative votes and must not face a veto from any of the five permanent council members: Russia, China, the United States, Britain, or France.
The draft explicitly endorses Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a basis for negotiation between the involved parties. However, Algeria, currently a council member, is pushing for the removal of this language, clearly indicating its stance against the resolution as it stands. The Polisario Front has stated that it will not participate in negotiations grounded in a resolution that backs Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
Moreover, the draft resolution encompasses the renewal of the mandate for the United Nations peacekeeping force in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, for an additional year. An earlier iteration of the mandate would have extended the operation for only six months, highlighting a shift towards a longer-term engagement. The resolution also requests UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conduct a strategic review regarding MINURSO’s future mandate, which must consider the negotiation outcomes over the next six months. The current mandate is set to expire on Friday.
As the international community watches closely, the implications of this resolution and its subsequent negotiations are profound. The ongoing dialogue underscores the challenge of finding a lasting resolution to a conflict that has persisted for over fifty years and brings with it not only complexities of national sovereignty and self-determination but also opportunities for peace and stability in a historically volatile region.
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