United Nations, November 2 (TNA) The UN Security Council failed to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, or MINURSO, after competing resolutions backed by the United States and Russia were rejected on October 30.
A US-drafted resolution received 11 votes in favour but was blocked by a veto from Russia, while China, Pakistan and Somalia abstained. The proposal would have placed Morocco’s autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty at the centre of negotiations and reduced the mission’s military role.
Russian Proposal Also Rejected
The Council later considered a Russian draft calling for a straightforward one-year extension of MINURSO’s mandate. That proposal received support from only Russia, China and Somalia, while the United States voted against it and 11 members abstained.
Because the Russian text failed to secure the required nine affirmative votes, it was not adopted. With neither proposal passing, the mission’s mandate expired without renewal on October 31.
Morocco Welcomes Outcome
Morocco’s Royal Office described the development as a major diplomatic milestone and said it marked a break with what it called the previous approach to managing the Western Sahara dispute. Rabat welcomed the support for its autonomy initiative and argued that the vote demonstrated growing international backing for its position.
Morocco has presented autonomy under its sovereignty as the basis for a political settlement. The United States-backed draft would have made that proposal the central framework for negotiations, while still referring to the need for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable resolution.
Future of Mission Unclear
MINURSO was established in 1991 to support a referendum process in Western Sahara. The mission’s future has become increasingly uncertain amid the collapse of the ceasefire in 2020 and continuing disagreement over the terms of a political settlement.
The failure to renew the mandate does not by itself resolve the broader dispute or settle the status of Western Sahara. It also leaves questions over the future of the mission’s personnel, equipment and operations, as well as the Security Council’s next steps.
Regional Reactions Expected
Morocco is expected to press for negotiations centred on its autonomy plan, while Algeria and the Polisario Front have opposed any settlement that excludes the option of self-determination for the Sahrawi people. The UN and its member states now face the task of determining whether a new diplomatic formula can restore consensus and prevent further instability in the region.