UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara to expire amid US, Russia vetoes
The mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Western Sahara will expire on October 31. The UN Security Council could not agree on a resolution to extend the mission.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, is set to expire after Russia and the United States each vetoed a draft resolution to extend its mandate. MINURSO, established in 1991, oversees a ceasefire and settlement plan between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent Sahrawi Republic.
Morocco claims Western Sahara as its territory, while the Polisario Front represents the indigenous Sahrawi people. The US proposed extending the mission for one year, with Morocco's autonomy plan as the basis for negotiations, and eliminating the military component. Russia vetoed this, labeling it a "unilateral approach." The US then blocked Russia's proposal to renew the mission for another year with the same terms.
Morocco's royal palace welcomed the mission's expiration, stating that it should mark the end of the Security Council's involvement in the issue. The Polisario Front's UN representative thanked Russia for vetoing the US resolution, which they claimed would have undermined the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and independence.
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