Rabat, November 4 (TNA) King Mohammed VI chaired a high-level working session at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Tuesday to review Morocco’s political, security and administrative strategy following the United Nations Security Council’s failure to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO. The meeting came days after the Security Council’s October 30 vote left the mission’s future uncertain.
The session brought together Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Royal Adviser Fouad Ali El Himma, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit and Lieutenant General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the South Zone. Their participation underscored the coordination of Morocco’s political, administrative and defence institutions during the transition.
Focus on sovereignty and stability
The meeting reaffirmed three stated priorities: safeguarding Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, protecting national security, and maintaining peace and social stability in the Southern Provinces. The Royal Palace indicated that development initiatives, public administration and investment programmes in the region would continue without interruption.
Morocco has consistently maintained that its autonomy proposal offers the most realistic basis for resolving the decades-long Western Sahara dispute. The Polisario Front and Algeria, however, support a settlement that includes self-determination for the Sahrawi people, leaving the political status of the territory unresolved.
Ceasefire commitment retained
King Mohammed VI reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to the ceasefire, portraying it as a national policy choice rather than an obligation dependent on UN monitoring. MINURSO was established in 1991 to oversee the ceasefire and support a proposed referendum, but the referendum process remained stalled for decades.
Morocco’s position is that the end of the mission’s mandate should not affect stability on the ground. The government is expected to coordinate with international partners as the future of UN personnel, assets and monitoring arrangements is clarified.
Transition coordination
Royal instructions designated the Office for Coordination with MINURSO, under the Interior Ministry, to facilitate the orderly winding down of the mission’s activities. The office is expected to coordinate the withdrawal or transfer of personnel and assets, while seeking to prevent administrative or security gaps during the process.
The UN Security Council’s inability to agree on a renewal has opened a period of diplomatic uncertainty. A US-backed draft resolution received 11 votes but was vetoed by Russia, while China, Pakistan and Somalia abstained; a competing Russian draft was also rejected.