UNSC Resolution 2756: Algeria’s challenging stance on Morocco’s Western Sahara

Morocco and Algeria have long suspended their diplomatic relations. After the UN Security Council adopted Resolution No. 2756, the Algerian government and the Polisario Front avoided negotiations about Western Sahara. This decision shows that Algeria intends to hinder the peace process regarding the ongoing Sahara conflict.

Moroccan representatives at the United Nations emphasized that the Algerian government justified its withdrawal from UN negotiations by stating, “Everyone, including the Kingdom of Morocco and the UN Security Council, acknowledges Algeria’s vital role in the conflict,” implying that “its absence from discussions will impede any political advancement.” 

Following an extended impasse, the UN Security Council urgently urged the parties to resume negotiations to reinvigorate the political process. This matter includes Algeria, Morocco, the “Polisario,” and Mauritania. Consequently, one party’s exit from negotiations could position it against the international community, especially the UNSC.

Algeria’s withdrawal from the UN negotiations stems from various earlier political actions. Notably, the negative responses related to the Royal Armed Forces’ control over the Guerguerat border crossing play a role. Furthermore, the Sahara issue has experienced a unique development since numerous Arab, African, and international nations established diplomatic consulates in the southern provinces of the Kingdom. 

This situation has put Algeria in a problematic position, leading to its isolation in Africa and on the global stage.

While the UN Security Council voted to extend the MINURSO mission’s mandate for another year, the Polisario Front strongly opposed the decision, refusing to comply with the UN request and directly challenging the UN authority.

Additionally, in his royal speech on the forty-ninth anniversary of the glorious Green March, King Mohammed VI of Morocco mentioned the importance of the victories achieved by Moroccan foreign diplomacy. 

The royal speech stipulated the need to apply the political and realistic approach of the autonomy initiative plan regarding the Moroccan Sahara dispute and the efforts made to reach sustainable national development throughout the country. 

The King also emphasized the significance of preserving Morocco’s political unity and internal foundations to defend the devotion to the Kingdom of Morocco. 

His Majesty points out the need to encourage the Moroccan diaspora to strengthen their patriotism and identity, sustaining their attachment to their homeland and its historical and cultural values in Morocco and their countries of residence. 

Royal diplomacy in Morocco effectively aligns with the country’s foreign affairs management. Morocco actively addresses the challenges and geoeconomic factors affecting the Saharan provinces by developing a robust strategy for investing natural resources in these southern regions. Additionally, the country facilitates future development programs and projects to ensure stability and prosperity in the Atlantic region.

In this regard, the balloting of U.S. President Donald Trump as President of the United States in the November 5, 2024, elections is a significant turning point in Moroccan-American relations, especially regarding the issue of the Moroccan Sahara and the need to end this artificial regional conflict. 

Trump was the first to sign a presidential decree recognizing the Moroccanness of the Sahara and adopting the entire map of the Moroccan Sahara in 2020. 

These geopolitical developments indicate that Morocco may achieve a realistic and final political solution to the Sahara issue, despite the attempts of the Algerian regime, which still supports separation and promotes outdated theses such as referendum and statistics, which are no longer of use.

To stop the implications and irrational doubts rejected by the international community, along with Algeria’s obstruction of the United Nations’ efforts to achieve the desired goals in the political process to end the artificial Sahara conflict, the military regime must abide by the UN resolutions issued by the United Nations General Assembly on the Sahara issue and return to the negotiating table between the concerned parties, as stipulated in previous and recent Security Council resolutions. 

The international organization’s commitment to realism and responsibility in addressing this issue, represented by its UN envoy, “De Mistura,” appears to be faltering. He has lost the ability to bridge the views of the conflicting parties and needs to be more effective in bringing the political factions to the negotiating table. 

Furthermore, there has yet to be an introduction of a new scenario in the UN discourse, which has become repetitive and fails to offer any political or negotiating guarantees to resolve the ongoing conflict between Morocco, Algeria, and the Polisario Front.

UN envoy De Mistura has reached an impasse in achieving a political and negotiated resolution for the Moroccan Sahara conflict. He also needs assistance formulating new UN proposals that provide alternatives to those previously suggested. 

This situation complicates the establishment of dialogue channels among the conflicting parties, as the stances of some countries on secession conflict with UN Security Council resolutions. Such dynamics pose a threat to stability in the Moroccan Sahara region. Consequently, De Mistura’s proposal for a final settlement, which suggested dividing the territory between Morocco and the Polisario Front, needs to be updated, similar to earlier suggestions made by previous envoys. 

This situation indicates to Moroccan diplomacy that De Mistura has been unable to secure a conclusive agreement, and the Kingdom of Morocco is unwilling to tolerate the unproductive approaches taken by his predecessors, such as UN envoy Koehler, who also faced a stalemate in addressing this regional conflict.

In Addition, Algeria has continually worked to obscure Moroccan advancements regarding the Sahara issue, leading many to perceive it as a potential drag into a regional conflict. The most recent manifestation of this was the attack on a festival in the Al-Mahbas area on Saturday, where the Polisario militias launched short-distance missiles during the celebration of the Green March anniversary.

Recent events in Mahbas indicate that rivals, especially the Polisario Front and its backers, are frustrated by the advancements concerning the Moroccan Sahara situation. This unease stems from France’s recent recognition and the prior backing from Spain and the United States. 

A recent resolution by the Security Council seeks to capitalize on this progress to foster a lasting solution and enhance the current circumstances. This response highlights the confusion and desperation present in the opposition’s rhetoric and reveals the international and regional isolation impacting separatist movements.

Continuous provocative actions concerning the Moroccan Sahara bolster Morocco’s determination to progress. This dedication entails persistent development initiatives in these southern provinces, along with improving democratic practices within the framework that Morocco follows. 

This strategy enables the local populace to oversee and govern their matters democratically, maximizing available opportunities for the region’s and its residents’ benefit. Therefore, Morocco has consistently expressed its commitment to a peaceful and political approach in this matter, and the Kingdom of Morocco is ready to resort to any other harsh possibilities that may be imposed by the requirements of defending the Kingdom’s territorial integrity in line with the norms of international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions.

In summary, Morocco’s diplomatic initiatives focus on royal addresses that urge all Moroccans, both within the country and abroad, to come together to support the integrity and historical importance of the Moroccan Sahara. 

They underscore the significance of reaching a political settlement to the ongoing conflict through the United Nations. Additionally, it emphasizes the autonomy plan, recognized by the international community as a feasible solution for the Moroccan Sahara. 

We must enhance our vigilance and prepare for possible worst-case scenarios from Algeria. 

Should war be thrust upon us, it could provide an opportunity to rectify historical mistakes and reclaim our territories lost during French colonialism colonization.