The resolution supports Morocco’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara, a stance backed by Trump’s administration.The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution stating that genuine autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty could be the most feasible solution to Rabat’s 50-year conflict with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.Western Sahara, a tract of desert the size of Britain, has been the scene of Africa’s longest-running territorial dispute since colonial power Spain left in 1975 and Morocco annexed the territory.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe UNSC, in a United States-drafted text, on Friday called for the parties to engage in negotiations based on an autonomy plan first presented by Morocco to the UN in 2007.Morocco considers the territory its own while the Polisario Front seeks to establish an independent state called the Sahrawi Republic.“We urge all parties to use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions,” US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the council after the vote on Friday. “We believe regional peace is possible this year, and we will make every effort to facilitate progress.”Russia, China and Pakistan abstained, while Algeria did not vote. The remaining 11 council members voted in favour of the resolution, which also renewed for one year the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Western Sahara, known as the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).“The final decision on the future cannot, must not, belong to anyone othe …
