Trendpills
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a significant resolution that supports Morocco's plan for autonomy in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The US-drafted resolution, passed on October 31, 2025, marks a notable shift in the long-standing conflict over the former Spanish colony.
The council adopted Resolution 2797 (2025) with a vote of 11 in favor, three abstentions (Russia, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone), and one member absent. The resolution renews the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year. Crucially, it also frames Morocco's 2007 proposal of "genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty" as a feasible approach to a final resolution.
Morocco, which annexed the mineral-rich territory in 1975, has long promoted its autonomy plan as the only viable solution. This recent resolution has been welcomed by Rabat as a confirmation of its diplomatic efforts. However, the decision has been firmly rejected by the Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by neighboring Algeria. The Polisario Front continues to advocate for a full self-determination referendum, which was the original purpose of the MINURSO mission established in 1991.
The vote underscores deep international divisions over the issue. The United States, which drafted the text, views the autonomy initiative as a potential path to resolve the decades-long dispute. In contrast, Russia's representative criticized the resolution as "unbalanced," arguing that it moves away from the impartial role the UN should play in facilitating a referendum that includes independence as an option. The abstentions from the African nations on the council further highlight a continued international divide on how to achieve a just and lasting political solution for the people of Western Sahara. While the resolution strengthens Morocco's diplomatic position, the core conflict remains unresolved.
