The UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, abbreviated as MINURSO, was suspended after Russia and the United States vetoed each other's proposals to extend the mission. This action took place one day before the official expiration of the mission.
History of the MINURSO Mission
The MINURSO mission was established in 1991 to oversee a settlement plan and ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara. Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony that Morocco considers part of its territory.
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The Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, is striving to establish an independent state called the Sahrawi Republic and claims its right to self-determination.
The Vetoes and Their Consequences
On Friday, the United States presented a proposal to the UN Security Council that included a one-year extension of the MINURSO mission, but this proposal was based solely on Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the basis for negotiations and also included a reduction of the mission's military component.
This proposal, which was approved by 11 out of 15 members of the Security Council, faced a veto from Russia. Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, condemned the proposal as a unilateral approach and emphasized that the Security Council should not endorse such an approach.
The United States also blocked Russia's proposal, which included extending the mission under previous conditions, with its veto. The US representative to the UN, Michael Walts, stated that some council members attempted to preserve the letter 'R' related to the referendum, while the UN has not had a plan to hold such a vote for decades.
The Moroccan royal palace regarded the non-extension of the MINURSO mission as a victory and stated that this should mark the end of the Security Council's interference and the removal of this issue from its agenda. On the other hand, the representative of the Polisario Front at the UN, Sidi Omar, thanked Russia for vetoing the US proposal and stated that this action threatens the right to self-determination and independence of the Sahrawi people.
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