After several attempts at diversion and insistence on claiming it was not concerned by the landmark Resolution 2797, the Security Council Secretariat finally published the official version of its text concerning the Moroccan Sahara. This publication puts an end to the debate fueled by the Algerian military regime and its repeated attempts to distort its content. Above all, it places Algeria at the heart of the process, as a key stakeholder in the negotiations that are set to begin soon, according to the daily newspaper Al Ahdath Al Maghribia in its Thursday, November 27 edition.
The resolution, adopted on October 31, had never before been published on the UN website. The reason: Algiers' opposition to the Arabic version circulated by the United States, the drafter of the text, which included the term"the parties." The Algerian government demanded that this be replaced with "the two parties," a way of avoiding the obligation to participate in the discussions. For twenty-four days, Algerian diplomats made numerous efforts to impose this interpretation on the Security Council secretariat. This obstruction delayed the official publication of the text and irritated several Council members, who felt that a document that had been voted on should be made public without delay.
This delay sheds light on the deep unease of the Algerian regime, which claimed in its public statements that the resolution reinforced its position, while behind the scenes seeking to influence its scope, notes Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. The publication of the text two days ago, in its authentic version and in the six official UN languages, immediately dispelled any ambiguity. It revealed the extent of the maneuvers carried out and shattered the narrative that Algiers was merely an external observer of the conflict. The term"the parties," confirmed in black and white, in fact enshrines the role of all the actors involved, including Algeria, and not that of only two parties, as Algiers had tried to suggest.
This official recognition comes as, in recent weeks, the Algerian regime has repeatedly stated that it is not involved in the matter. It even went so far as to offer mediation between Morocco and the separatist movement, a move presented as a gesture of goodwill but perceived by observers as yet another way to shirk its responsibilities. Following the publication of the resolution, these efforts now appear as a plan designed to legitimize the biased interpretation that Algiers wanted to impose on the UN Secretariat, explains Al Ahdath.
The published text explicitly reiterates that Algeria is a central player in the regional dispute, a point King Mohammed VI emphasized in his October 31st speech, describing it as a turning point in the history of the issue. Prior to its publication, Algiers' official positions oscillated between cautious approval and vehement criticism of the resolution, a sign of palpable unease. Just last week, its Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, praised the idea of a mediation initiative, while simultaneously suggesting that Algeria was not involved in the dispute.
At a press conference, the Algerian foreign minister attempted to downplay the significance of the UN resolution and the American statements, implying that the calls for mediation concerned only Rabat and the separatist movement. He claimed that his country would support any serious initiative aimed at bridging the gap between the two sides, once again seeking to exclude Algiers from the negotiation process, even though the Security Council resolution explicitly designates it as an essential player.
According to the minister, the resolution would preserve the fundamental principles of the conflict settlement, notably the requirement for direct negotiations between Morocco and the separatist movement, which, in his view, reflected an interpretation aligned with Algerian interests. This interpretation aimed to suggest that the text deliberately excluded Algeria from the diplomatic process. His statements revealed a gamble: that of securing a substantial change in the final wording of the resolution. A gamble that has now failed.
The resolution clearly endorses the political dynamic initiated by Morocco since 2007, based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, which the Security Council considers a realistic, just, and lasting solution to end an artificial conflict. It also reaffirms its full support for the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in their efforts to bring the four actors in the process—Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the separatist movement—to the negotiating table.
