UN Security Council Backs Morocco-Led Autonomy Talks on Sahara

The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution calling negotiations based on Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan the most feasible path to resolving Western Sahara’s decades-long dispute. Eleven members voted in favor, while Russia, China and Pakistan abstained; Algeria did not participate. The measure renews the MINURSO peacekeeping mandate for one year and requests a six-month strategic review.

Western Sahara, a desert territory roughly the size of Britain, has been contested since Spain’s 1975 withdrawal. Morocco asserts sovereignty and proposes “genuine autonomy” under Moroccan authority, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independence referendum including the option of statehood.

The resolution urges all parties to resume negotiations grounded in the 2007 Moroccan autonomy proposal. It extends the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for twelve months and asks the UN Secretary-General to deliver within six months a strategic review of MINURSO’s future role, aligned with the outcome of talks.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz urged swift engagement, saying the parties should “come to the table and engage in serious discussions,” adding that regional peace is achievable this year. Algeria’s UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama countered that “the final decision on the future cannot, must not, belong to anyone other than the people under colonial domination,” and said the text ignores Polisario proposals.

Morocco welcomed the vote. King Mohammed VI described it as opening “a new chapter in consolidating the Moroccanness of the Sahara,” urging Sahrawi refugees in the Polisario-run Tindouf camps to endorse autonomy and calling for “brotherly dialogue” with Algeria, reaffirming commitment to the Maghreb Union. Crowds in Moroccan cities celebrated, waving flags and chanting.       The Polisario Front rejected the basis of the talks , Its representative Sidi Omar said the resolution does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty, and the movement later stated it would not join “any peace process or negotiations” premised on “legitimizing the Moroccan military occupation.”

International positions have shifted toward Rabat’s plan. In July, President Donald Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Moroccan sovereignty, calling autonomy the sole solution; his envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington is working on an Algeria–Morocco peace deal. France has recognized Rabat’s sovereignty and cleared development investments in the territory. The United Kingdom endorsed autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty in June, while Spain and more European states have backed Rabat’s position.

For investors, the Council’s signal—paired with growing backing from major capitals—could unlock infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, and agrifood projects in Moroccan-administered areas, especially around ports, wind and solar corridors, and potential green hydrogen sites. However, legal and political risk remains elevated given the territory’s contested status and Polisario’s rejection of the framework. Firms should assess supply-chain exposure (phosphates, fisheries, energy transmission), contract law, and compliance with evolving EU and UN guidance. The six-month MINURSO review is a practical milestone: a clearer mission posture and structured talks could reduce risk premiums, but a stalled process would preserve uncertainty.

The resolution resets diplomatic momentum toward an autonomy-based negotiation while maintaining on-the-ground stability through a renewed MINURSO mandate. The next six months—leading to the mission’s strategic review and potential talks—will test whether parties act on calls to engage, as the United States puts it, to make “regional peace” possible this year.

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