Morocco welcomes failure to renew UN mission in Western Sahara
Russia vetoed a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution, causing the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara to expire on Saturday and leaving the future of the peacekeeping mission in limbo, aljazeera.com reported.
Security Council Deadlock Over the Expired Mandate
The expired mission, known as MINURSO, was originally established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. The US-drafted resolution proposed extending the mission for a year, removing the word “referendum” from its name, and making Morocco’s autonomy proposal the sole basis for further negotiations. While 11 of the 15 council members supported the measure, Russia cast a veto.
Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stated during the meeting that Moscow opposed the draft because it favored one side and that the Security Council cannot automatically predetermine matters relating to sovereignty. Russia subsequently proposed renewing the existing mission without those changes, but that draft failed to secure the necessary nine votes, receiving two votes in favor, one against, and 11 abstentions.
US ambassador Mike Waltz called it unfortunate that the veto was used to preserve the letter R in the mission’s name for a referendum, adding that the status quo is unacceptable.
Diverging Reactions From Morocco and Algeria
Morocco’s royal palace welcomed the failure to renew MINURSO, announcing on Friday that UN personnel and equipment should leave the territory in the coming days and that the Western Sahara issue should be withdrawn from the Security Council’s consideration. Meanwhile, streets in El Aaiun, the capital of Western Sahara, saw celebrations as residents waved Moroccan flags and displayed portraits of King Mohammed VI.
Algeria expressed regret over the failure to renew the mandate, with its foreign ministry criticizing the US draft for excessive bias toward Morocco. Sidi Omar, the Polisario Front’s representative at the UN, welcomed Russia’s veto, stating that the US proposal would undermine Sahrawi self-determination.
Morocco Seeks Autonomy for Western Sahara
Morocco considers Western Sahara its own territory following Spain’s withdrawal in 1975, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks to establish an independent state called the Sahrawi Republic. Morocco’s diplomatic standing received prior reinforcement on October 15, 2026, when the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution with 152 votes in favor, incorporating a reference to UN Security Council Resolution 2797, as reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
Selim Balouati Lakhloufi, a historian and researcher based in Morocco, noted that international backing from powers like the United States, France, and the United Kingdom strengthens Morocco’s position. He explained to aljazeera.com that the diplomatic debate is gradually shifting away from the right to self-determination toward a solution based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
MINURSO Mandate Collapse Risks Regional Security
The collapse of MINURSO’s mandate raises immediate security questions for the region. Oxfam warned that losing the mission’s monitoring and de-escalation functions risks undermining security and stability. With MINURSO’s 155 military personnel facing departure and the future of the territory’s administrative control uncertain, the primary question remains how international negotiations will proceed without an active UN peacekeeping mandate on the ground.