RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A new phase is opening in the Sahara issue following the United Nations Security Council vote on 30 October, in which eleven of the fifteen members backed the draft resolution submitted by the United States, focusing on Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole basis for negotiations aimed at achieving a political settlement to the regional dispute.
The text, supported by a broad majority of the Council, was not adopted due to Russia’s veto. Three countries – China, Pakistan and Somalia – abstained. Moscow’s alternative proposal, which called for a straightforward renewal of MINURSO’s mandate without any amendments, received only three votes in favour, from Russia, China and Somalia, while the United States voted against and eleven members abstained. The Russian draft was therefore rejected, having failed to secure the required nine votes.
According to Rabat’s diplomatic assessment, the outcome of the two votes highlights a significant consolidation of international support for the autonomy initiative put forward by Morocco in 2007, which had already been placed at the centre of the political process by Resolution 2797 of 31 October 2025.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz expressed deep regret over Russia’s veto, stressing that the Security Council had missed an important opportunity to move from managing the conflict towards achieving a lasting solution. The US diplomat reiterated that Washington does not intend to support the continuation of the status quo or the extension of MINURSO in its current form, recalling the failure of the referendum project, which has long been acknowledged by the United Nations itself.
Waltz also reaffirmed the United States’ determination to continue its diplomatic efforts, in cooperation with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to achieve a concrete political solution based on the progress made in negotiations and Morocco’s autonomy initiative. He also drew attention to the humanitarian situation in the Tindouf camps, underlining the urgent need to put an end to decades of diplomatic deadlock.
The US draft marked a substantial shift in the United Nations’ approach, recognising autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the only viable solution and stipulating that Morocco’s plan should serve as the exclusive basis for future negotiations. The text also envisaged a transformation of the UN mission, including the removal of the reference to a referendum from MINURSO’s name, broader consultations involving a wider range of representatives of the Sahrawi population, beyond the traditional negotiating parties, and stronger humanitarian provisions for the populations living in the Tindouf camps. These included the registration of refugees within six months and the promotion of durable solutions.
Although these provisions did not enter into force due to Russia’s veto, the support expressed by eleven Council members is regarded by Rabat as a particularly significant political signal, confirming the growing prominence of Morocco’s initiative in the international debate.
In a statement issued by the Royal Cabinet, King Mohammed VI welcomed the failure to renew MINURSO’s mandate, which was due to expire on 31 October 2026, describing it as an important development and a significant step towards bringing the issue of the Moroccan Sahara before the United Nations to a definitive close.
According to the statement, the failure to renew the mandate is expected to lead, in the coming days, to the withdrawal of the UN mission from the Kingdom’s southern provinces, following 35 years of operations, and pave the way for the Security Council to conclude its periodic consideration of the issue.
The position expressed by the King is part of Morocco’s diplomatic strategy aimed at moving beyond the mechanisms inherited from the 1991 referendum process and focusing international efforts on a political solution based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
Morocco has also reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, while safeguarding its territorial integrity and the security of the population, and confirmed its intention to continue the diplomatic momentum initiated by King Mohammed VI at both bilateral and regional levels.
According to the Royal Cabinet, more than two-thirds of UN member states now support autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the framework for resolving the dispute.
Although the 30 October vote did not result in the adoption of a new resolution, it nevertheless highlighted a significant political development: while the US draft received the support of eleven Council members, the Russian proposal secured only three votes in favour.
For Rabat, Moscow’s veto therefore represents an obstacle to the formal adoption of the text, but does not halt the international momentum in favour of autonomy. Meanwhile, the failure to extend MINURSO’s mandate marks, in Morocco’s assessment, the end of a historic phase in the management of the dispute.
– Photo: IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
