The United States has introduced substantial amendments to a UN resolution on Western Sahara, ahead of a vote in the UN Security Council scheduled for Friday, October 30. The changes include dropping mandatory timelines for reducing the UN's MINURSO mission and converting it into a political mission. The Moroccan proposal for autonomy remains the basis for negotiations.
According to media reports citing UN and diplomatic sources, the revised text removes the condition to reduce the military component of MINURSO by at least 50% by January 2027. The automatic conversion of MINURSO into a special political mission by May 2027 has also been abolished. Instead, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is requested to provide a strategic review and proposals for reducing and restructuring the mission.
The revised text also softens its language on autonomy, describing it as "the most viable solution" rather than "the only solution," while maintaining the reference to the right to self-determination. The Security Council is expected to decide on the future of MINURSO after the Secretary-General's review. The current mandate of MINURSO expires on October 31.
The US, which is penning the resolution, is set to circulate its final version after consultations on Thursday. The Polisario Front has expressed its dissatisfaction with the draft, threatening to withdraw from the UN process if it is adopted without significant changes. The group organized protests in Tindouf refugee camps on Monday, rejecting the US draft.
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797 in October 2025, which made the Moroccan initiative a reference for negotiations. Mauritania, as a neighboring country, is invited to participate in the UN process. The MINURSO mission was established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and organize a referendum, which has yet to take place.
The revised resolution also calls for broader consultations with Sahrawis inside the territory, in refugee camps, and in exile. It requests the completion of a census of Tindouf refugee camp populations within six months and enhances the role of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura.
The vote on the resolution is expected to take place on Friday, with the current mandate of MINURSO expiring on October 31. Key points include the removal of a mandatory timeline for reducing MINURSO's military component, a request for a strategic review of the mission, and enhanced consultations with Sahrawis.
Key points
- The US has dropped mandatory timelines for reducing the MINURSO mission in Western Sahara.
- The revised resolution maintains the Moroccan proposal for autonomy as the basis for negotiations.
- The Polisario Front has threatened to withdraw from the UN process if the resolution is adopted without significant changes.
