Western Sahara

[…] The Mission’s observation activities were enhanced by better access to areas near the berm and some improvement in obtaining timely security assurances to move to sites of alleged firing incidents and aerial strikes. However, persisting challenges hampered the ability to obtain first-hand information and verify reported developments on the ground.

With France, another key country supports Morocco's claim on the disputed region. What are the consequences for the local Sahrawi people, neighboring Algeria and the volatile region as a whole? 

France has thrown its support behind Morocco's autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara, shifting a decades-old position and adding itself to a growing list of countries to align with Morocco as a United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled. … Emmanuel Macron called the plan that Morocco proposed in 2007 to offer the region limited autonomy under its sovereignty the "only basis" to solve the conflict.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (30 July) that Morocco’s Western Sahara ‘autonomy’ proposal was the only plan able to end a 30-year-long territorial sovereignty dispute, challenging the EU’s historic stance and making it harder for the Union to keep stable relationships with both Rabat and Algiers.

[…] Limited access to areas near the berm and difficulties with obtaining timely permission to move to sites of alleged firing incidents and aerial strikes continued to pose challenges for MINURSO observation activities and compromised the Mission’s ability to obtain first-hand information and verify reported developments on the ground.

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/rest-of-africa/algeria-morocco-spar-over-western-sahara-a…

Renewed negotiations to reach a settlement on the disputed territory of Western Sahara could be within grasp after painstaking diplomatic spadework. But progress toward resolving the controversy over the area will prove hard to achieve without stronger U.S. backing.

With Israel recognizing Western Sahara as part of the Moroccan kingdom and a contentious fishing agreement between Morocco and the EU expiring, tensions are intensifying between the Polisario Front, Morocco and Algeria.

Israel announced Monday it was recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, joining the United States as the only countries to acknowledge the kingdom's annexation of the disputed north African territory.

The Moroccan government says it is strengthening ties with African countries that have a “clear position” on the Sahrawi issue, raising the ante of soft power by Rabat to endorse its autonomy plan.