The United Nations Security Council reached an impasse after Russia vetoed an American draft resolution, and a rival Russian proposal failed to secure the necessary nine votes. The American plan sought to formally drop the mission's referendum goal and endorse Morocco's autonomy plan as the exclusive framework for negotiations. Following the failed votes, Morocco declared that UN personnel and equipment should prepare to exit the territory. The mandate for MINURSO is set to expire on Saturday unless a sudden diplomatic compromise is struck.
Key points
The expiration of the UN mission threatens to remove essential international monitoring o…: The expiration of the UN mission threatens to remove essential international monitoring of the disputed territory.
Deepening divisions among global powers have effectively blocked any formal consensus on…: Deepening divisions among global powers have effectively blocked any formal consensus on Sahrawi self-determination.
A sudden withdrawal of peacekeeping forces risks intensifying the armed conflict that res…: A sudden withdrawal of peacekeeping forces risks intensifying the armed conflict that resumed back in 2020.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The UN Security Council rejected the competing proposals, leaving the peacekeeping mission without an approved extension.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara faces an uncertain future after competing United States and Russian resolutions failed at the UN Security Council.
Russia vetoed the US-backed proposal on Friday, despite support from 11 members of the 15-member council.
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A rival Russian draft then failed to secure the nine votes needed for adoption.
The mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is due to expire on Saturday unless the council reaches a last-minute agreement.
Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony in northwest Africa. Morocco considers the territory its own while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks to establish an independent state called the Sahrawi Republic.
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