Why is Morocco celebrating the defeat of a UN resolution on Western Sahara?
Morocco has welcomed the defeat of a US-drafted UN resolution that sought to extend the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara, after Russia vetoed the proposal.
The mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) expired on Saturday after a Russian veto, leaving the future of the peacekeeping mission in limbo. Established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and prepare a referendum on the territory's future, MINURSO's failure to renew has been celebrated by Morocco, which considers Western Sahara its own territory since Spain withdrew in 1975.
On Friday, the US proposed a resolution to extend the mission for a year, remove 'referendum' from its name, and make Morocco's autonomy proposal the only basis for further talks. Despite support from 11 of the 15 Security Council members, including permanent members France and the UK, Russia vetoed the resolution.
UN Security Council Vote
The US draft would have built on last October's Security Council resolution that offered genuine autonomy to Western Sahara, where the territory would manage internal affairs but remain under Moroccan sovereignty. The Security Council had already made this proposal a basis for negotiations and asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to review the peacekeeping mission.
It was truly unfortunate that in 2026 the veto was used to 'preserve the letter R (in the Mission's name) for referendum'.
Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia opposed the draft, stating that the Security Council cannot automatically predetermine matters relating to sovereignty. Russia's alternative proposal to renew the existing mission without changes failed to secure the nine votes needed, receiving only two votes in favor, one against, and 11 abstentions.
Regional Reactions
Morocco's royal palace welcomed the failure to renew MINURSO, stating that UN personnel and equipment should leave the territory and that the Western Sahara issue should be withdrawn from the Security Council's consideration. Morocco's UN representative questioned why Algeria's delegate was giving the Security Council 'lectures' on the matter.
Algeria expressed regret over the failure to renew MINURSO's mandate, criticizing what it described as the US draft's excessive bias towards Morocco. Algeria's delegate thanked Russia and other nations who chose not to associate with what he called an egregious injustice and attack on the organization's foundations.
The Polisario Front's UN representative, Sidi Omar, welcomed Russia's veto, stating that the US proposal would undermine Sahrawi self-determination. The Front has been seeking a UN-supervised referendum for self-determination since Morocco's annexation of the territory following Spain's withdrawal in 1975.
Historical Context
The Polisario Front does not recognize Morocco's annexation and declared the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976. Decades of fighting drove at least 170,000 Indigenous people into refugee camps in neighboring Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front.
The Front signed a UN-brokered ceasefire with Morocco in 1991, calling for a referendum within six months that was never held. Morocco retains control of lucrative phosphate and fishing resources in Western Sahara and claims historic ties to the land. In 2020, Donald Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, leading to diplomatic ties with Israel.
Western Sahara is now the last UN-designated 'non-self-governing territory' in Africa, with between 100,000 and 140,000 Moroccan military personnel based there. Low-level fighting has continued since the Polisario Front resumed armed struggle in 2020.
Celebration and Future
A festive atmosphere prevailed in the streets of El Aaiun, Western Sahara's capital, following the UN vote. Dozens of people wore traditional garments and waved Moroccan flags, displaying portraits of Morocco's King Mohammed VI.
Moroccan historian Selim Balouati Lakhloufi explained that Morocco is pleased because diplomatic developments at the UN are supporting its strategy regarding the disputed territory. 'The support of powers such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom for Morocco's autonomy proposal strengthens its international position,' he said.
Oxfam has warned that losing MINURSO's monitoring and deescalation functions risks undermining security and stability. Lakhloufi believes the mission's expiry is unfavorable for Sahrawi independence aspirations, as Morocco will likely continue to consolidate its territorial, economic and administrative control while the Polisario Front faces greater difficulties in securing international support.
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