The United Nations Security Council has ignited a fresh wave of diplomatic tension in North Africa with its decision to back Morocco’s autonomy plan as the “sole foundation” for resolving the Western Sahara conflict. In a vote held on October 31, 2025, the Council extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission, MINURSO, for another year, while formally endorsing Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal—a move that has been celebrated in Rabat but denounced by Algeria and the pro-independence Polisario Front.
According to reports from Anadolu, BBC, and other major outlets, the US-drafted resolution passed with 11 votes in favor, three abstentions (from Russia, China, and Pakistan), and Algeria refusing to participate at all. The resolution marks a significant diplomatic shift, departing from the UN’s previous stance of seeking a “mutually acceptable” solution through direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Instead, it now frames Morocco’s autonomy plan as the “most feasible” path forward.
Western Sahara, a vast and mineral-rich territory on Africa’s northwest coast, was a Spanish colony until 1975. Since then, Morocco has controlled most of the region, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, has pressed for independence. The conflict has simmered for nearly five decades, with a 1991 ceasefire halting open warfare but leaving the region’s ultimate status unresolved. The UN still considers Western Sahara a non-self-governing territory.
The Security Council’s endorsement of Morocco’s plan has triggered celebrations across Morocco. In Rabat, thousands of people took to the streets, dancing and singing patriotic songs. "The Sahara is Moroccan and always has been!" chanted the crowds, according to BBC. In the disputed city of Smara, residents set off fireworks as news of the vote spread. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI called the vote "historic," declaring, “We are opening a new and victorious chapter in the process of enshrining the Moroccan character of the Sahara.” In a televised address, he pledged to update and resubmit the autonomy plan to the UN as “the sole basis for negotiations and the only viable solution to the dispute.”
The Moroccan autonomy proposal, first introduced in 2007, offers Western Sahara self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty but stops short of full independence. The Polisario Front, which claims to represent the Sahrawi people, has consistently rejected this plan, insisting instead on a UN-supervised referendum on independence—a demand Morocco has refused to entertain. The Council’s new resolution calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to conduct negotiations on the basis of the Moroccan plan in hopes of reaching a “mutually acceptable agreement.”
Not everyone is pleased. Algeria, which has long supported the Polisario Front, voiced strong objections. Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama said the text “does not faithfully or sufficiently reflect the UN doctrine on decolonization.” He argued, “A just and lasting solution can only come about in presence of the respect for the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to decide on their own future. This is the only guarantee of genuine peace and of lasting stability in the region.” Algeria’s decision to abstain from the vote was a pointed signal of its disapproval. South Africa, another abstaining nation, also criticized the resolution, with its deputy ambassador insisting the conflict “cannot be settled through a non-inclusive peace process.”
The Polisario Front, for its part, remains defiant. Its representative stated that the resolution does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty and that their struggle for self-determination “will never be over.” The group’s position is echoed by many in the international community who fear that the new resolution undermines the principle of self-determination enshrined in UN doctrine. The rift between Morocco and the Polisario Front—and between Morocco and Algeria—appears as wide as ever.
US involvement has been pivotal in shifting the diplomatic landscape. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump formally recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. This move, controversial at the time, set the stage for broader Western support of Morocco’s position. Since then, Spain, France, Britain, and Germany have also expressed support for Moroccan sovereignty over the territory. US Permanent Representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, welcomed the “historic vote, which seizes upon this unique moment and builds on the momentum for a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara.” He urged all parties to “use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions, using Morocco’s credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.”
Despite these diplomatic victories for Rabat, there are lingering concerns. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has welcomed US efforts to resolve the conflict but has also pointed out the lack of detail in Morocco’s autonomy plan. Critics argue that the plan’s vagueness leaves key questions unanswered, particularly regarding the rights and governance of the Sahrawi people. The resolution’s call for continued negotiations suggests the UN recognizes that, despite the new framework, much work remains to be done.
The roots of the Western Sahara conflict run deep. After Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975, Morocco quickly asserted control, while the Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and waged an armed struggle. The 1991 ceasefire, brokered by the UN, established MINURSO to monitor the truce and prepare for a referendum on self-determination—a referendum that has yet to materialize. Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan was intended as a compromise, but the Polisario Front and Algeria have never accepted it as a substitute for a vote on independence.
The Security Council’s latest resolution has intensified these divisions. While Morocco and its allies see it as a decisive step toward resolving a long-festering dispute, Algeria, the Polisario Front, and their supporters view it as a betrayal of the Sahrawi people’s right to choose their own future. The coming months will likely see renewed diplomatic maneuvering, as UN officials attempt to coax all parties back to the negotiating table.
In the meantime, the people of Western Sahara remain caught in the middle, their future still uncertain after half a century of conflict and diplomatic wrangling. The Security Council’s vote may have opened a “new chapter,” as King Mohammed VI claims, but whether it leads to genuine peace or simply more stalemate remains to be seen.
