US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson strongly criticized Russia's veto of a US-drafted Western Sahara resolution at the UN Security Council, accusing Moscow of seeking to further destabilize Africa. The veto was cast on Friday, despite 11 of the Council's 15 members supporting the resolution. Wilson branded Algeria, which is backed by Russia, as a "puppet" driving chaos in North Africa. He called for sanctions against Algiers and the separatist Polisario Front.
The US-drafted resolution sought to anchor Morocco's Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for negotiations and reshape the mandate of MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara. Wilson tied the veto to a wider network of actors he claimed are hostile to Morocco and the West, including Iran and the Hezbollah-trained Polisario Front. He demanded that the Polisario be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and called for sanctions against Algeria under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Wilson's call for a terrorist designation for the Polisario is not new. In June 2025, he introduced the "Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act" alongside Representative Jimmy Panetta. The legislation cites the Polisario's ties to Iran, including a 1980 meeting where Polisario fighters posed with portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The bill also reports that three Hezbollah officers served as trainers in the Tindouf camps in 2018.
The Polisario Front has been accused of receiving training and support from Iran. In 2022, the group's "Interior Minister" Omar Mansour described his fighters as training on "assembling and operating armed drones." An April 2025 Washington Post report stated that Iran had trained Polisario fighters and supplied them with unmanned aerial vehicles. The Syrian wing of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization, also joined a Polisario "Sahrawi Solidarity Summit" in the camps in January 2025.
Wilson's effort has gained support in Congress. In March 2026, Senator Ted Cruz introduced S. 4063, the "Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026," which would impose sanctions on the group if it cooperates with an Iranian-affiliated terrorist organization. A companion House measure, H.R. 9982, was introduced in July 2026, requiring annual State Department reporting on Polisario dealings with Iranian-linked groups.
The US government has also signaled pressure on Algiers. Robert Palladino, head of the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, told the Senate in February that Washington could sanction Algeria over its Russian fighter-jet purchases. Algeria confirmed in February 2025 that it had bought Russia's Su-57E jets, becoming the first foreign buyer of the aircraft.
The UN Security Council vote highlighted the divisions on Western Sahara. US Ambassador Mike Waltz framed the veto as Russia's choice alone, noting that 11 members had supported "historic steps toward finally ending a 50-year conflict" in Western Sahara. Russia defended the veto on sovereignty grounds, with its envoy Vassily Nebenzia arguing that the resolution would have undermined the sovereignty of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Key points
- US Congressman Joe Wilson condemns Russia's veto of a US-drafted Western Sahara resolution.
- Wilson brands Algeria a "puppet" of Russia and calls for sanctions against Algiers and the Polisario Front.
- The US government has signaled pressure on Algiers over its Russian fighter-jet purchases.
