On November 1, 2026, the mission of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) officially ended after its mandate was not renewed for the first time in 35 years. In a session held in the Security Council last Friday, Russia used its veto against a draft American resolution that would have supported Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara and ended the peacekeeping mission next year, while China abstained from voting.
A competing Russian draft resolution was then rejected due to a US counter-veto that aimed to extend the mission's mandate. The dispute led to an abrupt end to the mandate of the force, whose tasks were to monitor the ceasefire, in addition to organizing a referendum that was never held due to disagreements over the eligibility of voters.
“November 1, 2026 marks the beginning of the liquidation period,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said in a statement. He added: "A smaller team affiliated with the United Nations Department of Operational Support will oversee the orderly transfer of equipment and assets of troop-contributing countries to their countries, and the appropriate disposal of UN-owned equipment."
How did the parties react?
Rabat, which considers Western Sahara an integral part of its territory, welcomed the non-renewal of the mission’s mandate, which it described as “a tool to internationalize the conflict.” The Moroccan Royal Court’s statement, which was issued after the end of the UN session, considered that the non-renewal of the mission’s mandate “is an important development and a step of great significance towards the final folding of the Moroccan Sahara file within the corridors of the United Nations.”
On the other hand, the Polisario Front, which seeks to establish an independent state in the disputed territory since the withdrawal of Spain, the former colonial power, expressed its “concern about the state of deadlock that prevailed at the Security Council session.” The same applies to the Algerian response, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “deep regret” for the non-renewal, and blamed what it described as the “excessive bias” of the United States towards Morocco’s position, while renewing its “adherence” to reaching a “just, lasting, and acceptable” political solution that “guarantees the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter and the relevant United Nations resolutions.”
A statement was later issued by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, urging “respect and promotion of the rights of the people of Western Sahara,” especially their “inalienable right to self-determination.” He also expressed his "concern... about the risk of escalation of hostilities," calling on the parties to "exercise the utmost restraint."
The end of the MINURSO mission and a reversal of UN Resolution 2797?
In UN Resolution No. 2797 drafted by the United States, the Security Council approved on October 31, 2025, the Rabat plan to grant the region autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the “most viable” solution to this conflict.
Failure to extend MINOROSO's mission does not mean retreating from the aforementioned UN resolution. Rather, what Russia rejected was an American draft emanating from his spirit, placing the Moroccan autonomy plan at the heart of the settlement of the conflict, proposing to completely delete the word “referendum” from the international dictionary by deleting the letter “r” from the mission’s name, which refers to the word referendum in the English language. However, the Russian move blocked this legal path, which the permanent representative of Moscow considered “an attempt to jump over the balance.” After that, the Russian draft to keep the mission in its name and traditional tasks was rejected.
What does this mean for the future of conflict?
According to the Moroccan Royal Court, the international political track has “stopped,” and “similar steps will be taken in the near future within other United Nations bodies.” At the same time, Rabat indicates that the “international dynamism” launched by the King of Morocco “will continue at the bilateral and regional levels,” in reference to Morocco’s desire to end the temporary situation that has lasted for decades by transferring the file from the corridors of the United Nations to the “field mobilization” and “bilateral diplomacy” according to a “sovereign vision.”
On the other hand, the Polisario Front, along with Algeria, adheres to managing the conflict through the United Nations as a “neutral faction,” which at the same time ensures that the referendum proposal remains intact alongside the Moroccan autonomy plan.
