The United States has described Friday's UN Security Council vote on a new resolution concerning the Sahara as «historic». The UN's executive body, an American diplomat said in an official statement, «seizes upon this unique moment and builds on the momentum for a long, long-overdue peace in Western Sahara». «We urge all parties to use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions using Morocco's credible and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute», the U.S. Representative to the UN stated. France, another permanent member of the Security Council, also welcomed the adoption of the resolution, calling it «an opening toward a horizon of peace». The French diplomat reaffirmed France's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, citing a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI dated July 29, 2024: «The present and future of the territory lie within the framework of Morocco's sovereignty». For Paris, Morocco's Autonomy Plan remains «the only basis for achieving a just and lasting solution». The French representative also underlined the importance of respecting the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Russia's representative to the UN «regretted that the United States used its position as the penholder to impose its national viewpoint», denouncing what he called a «cowboy approach». Moscow abstained from voting on Resolution 2797, as did China and Pakistan. Despite the current tensions between Washington and Moscow, these frictions did not lead Russia to veto the resolution, dashing Algeria's expectations.
