The resolution, presented by the United States, also renewed the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO for another year. Eleven council members voted in favor, while Russia, China, and Pakistan abstained. Algeria, which supports the pro-independence Polisario Front, did not take part in the vote.
Thousands of Moroccans celebrated the decision in the streets, waving flags and chanting patriotic songs. Meanwhile, Algeria and the Polisario Front criticized the resolution, saying it overlooks the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
The Polisario Front vowed not to join any peace process based on what it called “attempts to legitimize Moroccan occupation.”
Morocco considers Western Sahara part of its sovereign territory, while the Polisario Front continues to push for an independent Sahrawi Republic.