UN Security Council approves resolution backing Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara, in a major shift

The U.N. Security Council on Friday approved a resolution backing Morocco’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara, a shift that aligns with the Trump administration’s support for the North African country.

Although the vote was divided, the resolution offers the strongest endorsement yet for Morocco’s plan to keep sovereignty over the territory, which also has backing from most European Union members and a growing number of African allies.

“The United States welcomes today’s historic vote, which seizes upon this unique moment and builds on the momentum for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara,” Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in his remarks after the vote.

The resolution refers to Morocco’s plan as a basis for negotiation. As with similar resolutions in previous years, the text makes no mention of a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an option, which is the solution long favored by the pro-independence Polisario Front and its allies, including Algeria, Russia and China.

In a rare speech broadcast on Moroccan television after the vote, King Mohammed VI celebrated the result and pledged to supplement Morocco’s proposal with additional details. He also called for dialogue with Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The U.S., which sponsored the resolution, led 11 countries in voting in favor, while three countries — Russia, China and Pakistan — abstained. Algeria, Polisario’s primary benefactor, did not vote.

Sidi Mohamed Omar, the Polisaro ambassador to the U.N., thanked the allies who abstained and Algeria for protesting the vote, saying this “made it very clear that today’s resolution does not imply any recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.”

The measure also renews the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another year, as has been done for more than three decades. Prior extensions, however, haven’t included a reference to Morocco and its allies’ preferred outcome.