The UN Security Council was unable to renew the mandate for the peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara after competing proposals from the United States and Russia each fell short. Russia exercised its veto power against the American-backed resolution, which had garnered support from 11 of the council’s 15 members. A subsequent Russian alternative draft failed to achieve the nine votes required for passage.
The mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was set to expire on Saturday without council action. The American proposal would have extended the mission’s authorization for one year while removing the word “referendum” from its mandate and establishing Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the sole framework for future negotiations. This arrangement would grant the territory control over internal matters while preserving Moroccan sovereignty. The council had previously adopted Morocco’s proposal as a basis for talks in the preceding year.
Russia’s alternative would have renewed MINURSO under its existing terms without the modifications put forward by the United States. According to Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow opposed the American draft because it favored one party to the dispute. The US representative argued that the referendum process had stalled for many decades without resolution.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish territory in northwestern Africa, remains contested between Morocco, which asserts sovereignty, and the Algeria-supported Polisario Front, which seeks independence for what it calls the Sahrawi Republic. MINURSO was established in 1991 to supervise a ceasefire and organize a referendum determining the territory’s political status, but disputes over voting eligibility have prevented the referendum from occurring. Morocco’s government indicated approval of MINURSO’s failure to renew, stating that UN personnel and equipment should withdraw. The Polisario Front’s UN representative expressed approval of Russia’s veto, contending that the American proposal would compromise Sahrawi self-determination. Armed confrontations have persisted since Polisario announced the resumption of military operations in 2020.
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