UN Mission Ends Without Deal
A U.S. plan to close the Western Sahara mission was vetoed, and a Russian extension also failed to pass.
By Olivia Grant ·
The United Nations mission in Western Sahara loses its mandate tomorrow unless a new agreement is reached.
Russia blocked a U.S. draft on Friday that would have recognized Morocco's control and ended the 35-year peacekeeping effort. The U.S. proposal planned to swap the current military mission for a smaller political office by April 30, 2027. It stated that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty was the only feasible path to a solution.
The council then rejected a Russian alternative. That draft sought to extend the existing peacekeeping mandate through October 31, 2027. It failed to secure the nine affirmative votes required for passage. The final tally was three yes votes, one no, and 11 abstentions. The United States did not need to exercise its veto because the Russian text did not reach the threshold.
The territory has been a point of contention since 1975. Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony, which holds offshore oil deposits, and faced resistance from the Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered a ceasefire in 1991 and deployed troops to monitor the truce. A planned referendum on the region's future never happened due to disputes over voter eligibility.
This week's vote follows a shift in U.N. policy last year. The council approved a resolution that dropped the referendum requirement and focused on Morocco's autonomy plan. That move aligned with support from the Trump administration, Britain, and France. Russia and China have traditionally backed a vote that includes independence as an option.
Sidi Omar, the Polisario Front's representative at the U.N., reacted sharply to the U.S. draft. In a letter sent on October 22, he called it an "extremely dangerous, unprecedented departure" from international law. He warned that adopting the U.S. text would trigger further tension and instability. Omar said the group would have no choice but to disengage from the peace process if the draft passed.
Omar cited the International Court of Justice, which confirmed that sovereignty belongs exclusively to the Sahrawi people. He emphasized their right to self-determination and independence is non-negotiable. The council now faces a gap in oversight as the current mandate expires.
Source: WKMG-TV
