U.N. council urges realism in Western Sahara dispute

By Claudia Parsons

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution on Wednesday calling for "realism" in Western Sahara in what diplomats saw as a boost for Morocco in its dispute with the Polisario independence movement.

The council passed the resolution unanimously after several hours of haggling over the details and despite strong objections by South Africa and Costa Rica to language they said implied support for Morocco in the dispute.

Earlier in April, the U.N. mediator on Western Sahara sparked division in the Security Council when he told members independence for the disputed territory was unrealistic.

The assessment by envoy Peter van Walsum put him at odds with Polisario, which has sought to keep the independence option open in four rounds of talks with Morocco, which annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975.

Talks resumed a year ago to try to bridge the gap between rival plans put forward by the two sides.

Morocco offered autonomy for the resource-rich territory of 260,000 people but ruled out independence, while Polisario urged a referendum with independence as one option.

The negotiations have made little headway. Further talks are planned but no date has been set.

The Wednesday resolution renewed the mandate of a U.N. peacekeeping force for a year and welcomed "serious and credible Moroccan efforts" to move the process forward, while "taking note" of Polisario's proposals.