The mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara, MINURSO, officially ended on October 31, 35 years after its deployment in 1991. The expiration of the mandate comes after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution extending the peacekeeping operation. Russia, an ally of Algeria's regime, vetoed a US-drafted resolution seeking to advance the UN-led political process.
The proposed resolution sought to rename MINURSO to MINUSO, removing the letter "R" that references the word "referendum." The change reflects the UN's acknowledgment of the impossibility of holding a referendum, an outdated narrative pushed by Algeria's regime to support separatism and challenge Morocco's Autonomy Plan and sovereignty over its southern provinces through the Polisario Front.
Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita addressed the relevance of MINURSO's original mandate, questioning the continued reference to a referendum in the mission's name. Bourita argued that the UN itself had acknowledged that this option was no longer possible. He highlighted the growing dynamic toward autonomy and the strengthening of Moroccan sovereignty, questioning how the international community could maintain two realities simultaneously.
The US also raised concerns about the continued relevance of the referendum component during the Security Council meeting. US Ambassador Mike Waltz criticized Russia's decision to veto the US-drafted resolution, stating that some members of the Council had used their veto to preserve the letter "R" for the referendum, which the UN hasn't even prepared to hold for decades.
The 11 countries that supported the US-drafted resolution expressed regret over Russia's veto and reiterated their support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan as a basis for resolving the dispute. They also voted against a Russian alternative seeking to extend MINURSO's existing mandate without the changes proposed by Washington. The United States vetoed the Russian draft.
Bourita further highlighted MINURSO's ineffectiveness as a UN peacekeeping mission, citing the Guerguerat incident in 2020, where the Polisario announced that it was no longer committed to the ceasefire. He questioned what MINURSO could effectively monitor as a ceasefire observer when one of the parties had openly declared that it was no longer committed to the agreement.
The US and Morocco seem to be aligned on the future of Western Sahara, with Washington supporting the principle of self-determination and acknowledging that there are different ways to realize and express the will of a people. Morocco's Autonomy Plan appears to be gaining traction as a potential solution to the dispute, with 11 countries reiterating their support for the plan.
Key points
- The UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara, MINURSO, has officially ended after 35 years.
- Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution seeking to extend MINURSO's mandate and advance the UN-led political process.
- Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita questioned the relevance of MINURSO's original mandate, citing the impossibility of holding a referendum.
