The UN Security Council on Friday voted in favor of a resolution backing Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the “most feasible” solution for the disputed territory, triggering celebrations in Rabat, but angering Algeria.
Western Sahara is a mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco, but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria.
The council had previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume talks to reach an agreement.
Photo: AP
However, at the initiative of US President Donald Trump’s administration, the council shifted to support a plan, initially presented by Rabat in 2007, in which Western Sahara would enjoy autonomy under Morocco’s sole sovereignty.
The resolution, adopted by an 11-0 vote with three abstentions and Algeria refusing to participate, said autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty may be the basis for future negotiations to resolve the 50-year-old conflict.
“Genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution,” the resolution said.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI lauded the vote as “historic,” saying “we are opening a new and victorious chapter in the process of enshrining the Moroccan character of the Sahara.”
In Rabat, thousands of people danced and sang to celebrate the vote.
“The Sahara is Moroccan and always has been,” chanted the joyful crowds, alternating the rhythm with the national anthem and other patriotic songs.
In Smara, a city in the disputed territory, residents set off fireworks as soon as the vote was announced.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
BIG YEAR: The company said it would also release its A12 chip the same year to keep a ‘reliable stream of new silicon technologies’ flowing to its customers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said its newest A13 chip is to enter volume production in 2029 as the chipmaker seeks to hold onto its tech leadership and demand for next-generation chips used in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance-computing (HPC) and mobile applications. TSMC, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, also unveiled its A12 chip at its annual technology symposium in Santa Clara, California. The A12 chip, which features TSMC’s super-power-rail technology to provide backside power delivery for AI and HPC applications, is also to enter volume production in 2029, a year after the scheduled release of the A14 chip. The technology moves
RSS