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A U.S. effort to keep a United Nations peacekeeping mission operating in Western Sahara failed after a Russian veto, and the mission began shutting down Sunday after 35 years. The UN said the mission’s authority to operate expired at midnight on October 31. A smaller team will now handle its withdrawal and equipment.
The mission, known as MINURSO, had helped monitor a ceasefire in the disputed territory since 1991. It was also meant to prepare a vote in which the people of Western Sahara could choose between independence and becoming part of Morocco. That vote never took place.
The end of the mission does not end the UN’s diplomatic work or settle who should control the territory. Secretary-General António Guterres said Sunday that the people of Western Sahara retain their right to decide their political future, according to the UN’s statement on the mission’s closure.
Why the U.S. proposal failed
The Security Council considered two different plans on Friday, October 30. The U.S. draft received 11 votes in favor, but Russia blocked it. Russia is one of the council’s five permanent members, each of which can veto a draft resolution.
A separate Russian proposal would have extended the mission until October 31, 2027. It received only three votes in favor, below the nine required for adoption, according to the Security Council’s official meeting report. The United States voted against it.
The disagreement was about more than whether the mission should stay. The United States wanted to change a mission it said had failed to deliver its original purpose. In an official statement, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said Washington had sought a 12-month extension and was ready to work with the UN on an orderly drawdown after the veto. Its representative argued that renewing the same arrangement year after year would not move the dispute toward a solution.
Russia said the U.S. approach was one-sided and would undermine the interests of people who want a referendum. Moscow described its own proposal as a way to preserve the UN presence. Neither side’s text passed, leaving no renewed mandate when the existing one expired.
What happens now
The UN said Sunday marked the start of the mission’s liquidation period. In plain terms, its peacekeeping operations have ended, but the departure still has to be organized. A smaller team reporting to the UN Department of Operational Support will oversee the disposal of equipment.
At the end of its mandate, the mission had about 200 civilian staff, military observers and staff officers from more than 35 countries. Its headquarters was in Laayoune, with nine field sites and a liaison office in Tindouf. It also had a team that dealt with mines and unexploded weapons.
Guterres thanked the mission’s personnel and paid tribute to the 20 members who died during its 35 years. He said MINURSO had helped monitor the ceasefire and create conditions for a political settlement, including through the difficult period after fighting resumed in 2020.
Diplomatic work will continue through his personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura. Guterres urged the parties to cooperate with an orderly withdrawal and show “maximum restraint,” warning of the risk that hostilities could grow.
JBizNews Desk | United Nations
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