UN members clash over end of Western Sahara mission

The UN General Assembly debated on 10 November why its Western Sahara mission had been left without a mandate, with Russia and the United States defending rival proposals that both failed in the Security Council.

The mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, expired on 31 October after 35 years. A UN spokesperson said on 6 November that a team had been appointed to wind down the mission, including by repatriating military observers and dealing with UN equipment.

The mission was established after a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991 to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. The vote never took place amid disagreements over eligibility. Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975, sparking a conflict with the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the Sahrawi people.

On 30 October, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have renewed the mission’s mandate and reaffirmed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for negotiations, according to the UN’s account of the assembly debate. Eleven of the 15 Security Council members voted in favour, with one against and three abstentions. Associated Press reported that the draft also provided for the peacekeeping mission to end in April 2027 and be replaced by a political mission.

Russia then put forward a one-year technical extension. That proposal received three votes in favour, one against and 11 abstentions. The United States voted against, but its vote was not a veto: the draft fell short of the nine affirmative votes needed for adoption.

At the assembly, Russia’s representative argued that the US text marginalised the Polisario Front and reflected Morocco’s position. She rejected accusations that Moscow had caused the mission’s termination, pointing to its alternative proposal.

The US representative said the Russian draft sought to remove references to Morocco’s autonomy proposal. “It wasn’t a rollover; it was a rollback,” he said.

The European Union’s representative warned that the abrupt end of the mission increased the risk of miscalculation and instability. Namibia welcomed Russia’s veto, arguing that the US proposal would have weakened self-determination.