UN extends Western Sahara mission amidst abstentions and Algerian protest

The UN Security Council renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year on October 31, though the decision was marked by abstentions from Russia and Mozambique, while Algeria opted not to vote.

Algeria proposed two amendments aimed at supporting a political solution, but these were not adopted. U.S. representative Robert A. Wood, whose country authored the resolution, emphasized the Council's commitment to supporting the Personal Envoy in seeking “an enduring and dignified resolution for Western Sahara.”

Algeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Amar Bendjama, criticized the process, saying, “Over the last week, our views, which I unscrupulously noted down and documented and well-founded with agreed language within the Security Council, were not born in mind... they were deliberately ignored.” Bendjama explained that Algeria abstained as a response to these omissions.

Pedro Comissário, Mozambique's UN Ambassador, shared concerns, noting that “the resolution in its current form, without the Algerian amendments, will not assist the parties in achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.”

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya expressed reservations, adding that the resolution “does not reflect a real situation on the ground” and is unlikely to foster a mutually acceptable resolution, noting that Russia’s recommendations to address stagnant peace efforts were also ignored.