By Adam Said | Investigative Journalist – Canada Arab Press
The mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has expired after the UN Security Council failed to extend it, following Russia’s veto of a US-drafted resolution and the rejection of an alternative Russian proposal aimed at preserving the mission.
Moscow blocked the American resolution but failed to save MINURSO. Morocco responded decisively, with the Royal Cabinet welcoming the non-renewal of the mission’s mandate and calling for its personnel to leave and its equipment to be withdrawn in the coming days.
Morocco is now demanding an end to the presence of a UN mission that has operated for 35 years without achieving the intended political settlement. Rabat is also calling for a short deadline to evacuate the mission’s facilities under arrangements coordinated with the United Nations.
Moroccan sovereignty, which Rabat maintains is rooted in historical ties and continues to defend through diplomacy, is not dependent on Russia’s veto or Algeria’s political calculations. Morocco remains determined to consolidate its position through its autonomy proposal, international support, and continued political engagement.
MINURSO’s mandate has ended, and its continued presence can no longer be taken for granted. The next decisive step, from Morocco’s perspective, is to bring its field operations to an orderly conclusion while consolidating Moroccan diplomatic gains without compromising the ceasefire.
The message is clear: Russia’s veto did not preserve MINURSO, and Morocco is calling for the mission’s chapter to be closed permanently.
