"A Historic Shift": King of Morocco declares turning point in Western Sahara dispute

In a significant diplomatic milestone, Morocco has secured a major victory on the international stage with the United Nations Security Council endorsing its autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a move widely seen as a major setback for Algeria, which has long supported the separatist Polisario Front.

In a speech delivered shortly after the adoption of the resolution, King Mohammed VI of Morocco described the decision as a "historic shift" and a “new victorious chapter” in the country’s long-standing effort to affirm its sovereignty over the disputed territory.

“We are turning a new page in the process of definitively closing the chapter on the Sahara issue,” the King declared, expressing his "immense pride" at what he sees as growing global recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the region.

The resolution, drafted by the United States and adopted on Friday, called on all parties to engage in negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy plan first presented to the UN in 2007. Under the plan, the Western Sahara would retain limited self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty, with Rabat in charge of foreign policy, defense, and religious affairs.

The vote, supported by 11 members of the Council, with Russia, China, and Pakistan abstaining and Algeria notably absent from the vote, renews the mandate of MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the territory, for another year.

For Algeria, which has invested decades of political capital in supporting the Polisario Front’s push for full independence, the UN resolution represents a sharp diplomatic reversal. Algerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama criticized the resolution, insisting that the future of the territory "must not belong to anyone other than the people under colonial domination."

But momentum is shifting. Several Western and African countries, including the United States, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, have thrown their support behind Morocco’s autonomy plan, citing it as the most pragmatic and realistic pathway to peace in the region. Many African nations and Israel have also aligned with Rabat’s position.

Observers note that the resolution further isolates Algeria on the international stage, as more and more global actors lean toward Morocco's solution.

As thousands of Moroccans celebrated the decision in the streets, waving flags and chanting patriotic slogans, the broader message was clear: the tide of international opinion is turning — and Algeria’s long-standing position on Western Sahara is losing traction.