MINURSO’s 35-Year Mission Ends:
The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) entered its liquidation phase after the UN Security Council (UNSC) failed to renew its mandate due to a US–Russia standoff, ending its 35-year peacekeeping presence.
- MINURSO established in April 1991 under UNSC Resolution 690 (1991) to implement a UN-brokered settlement plan between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
- Monitor the ceasefire and organise a referendum on self-determination, allowing a choice between independence and integration with Morocco. The referendum never occurred due to disagreements over voter eligibility.
- Hostilities resumed in November 2020, but MINURSO continued monitoring the security situation and advocating cessation of hostilities.
- Russia vetoed a US-backed draft resolution favouring Morocco’s autonomy proposal, which also sought to rename MINURSO as the UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINUSO).
- A competing Russian resolution to extend MINURSO’s mandate until October 2027 failed to secure the required votes, leaving the mission without a renewed mandate.
- The termination of MINURSO’s mandate does not change Western Sahara’s disputed legal status or extinguish the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. UN-led diplomatic efforts may continue independently of the mission.
