MINURSO ends: UN begins liquidating its Western Sahara mission as Guterres urges maximum restraint

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, has ended its operations after its mandate expired at midnight on Saturday 31 October, UN News reported on 1 November. The Security Council had failed on 30 October to agree on its future, as covered in our report on the failed Security Council vote on MINURSO.

In a statement delivered by his Spokesperson on Sunday 1 November, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the departure of the mission “does not abrogate” the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination, according to UN News. He called on all parties to respect and promote the rights of the people of the territory.

Liquidation begins

UN News said that when its mandate ended, MINURSO was headquartered in Laayoune, with nine team sites, four west of the berm and five east of it, and a liaison office in Tindouf. It had about 200 civilian staff, military observers and staff officers from more than 35 countries, as well as a dedicated mine action capability.

Sunday marked the start of a liquidation period. A smaller team reporting to the UN Department of Operational Support will oversee the disposal of UN equipment, and Guterres asked the parties for their full cooperation so that the process can be completed in an orderly way as soon as possible.

The Secretary-General paid tribute to the 20 MINURSO personnel who lost their lives during the mission’s 35 years in the territory. He also thanked the staff of the mission, including Special Representative Alexander Ivanko, who led it through what he called a “particularly challenging period” after hostilities resumed in 2020.

Warning about escalation

Guterres said he remains concerned about the security situation throughout the territory and the risk of hostilities escalating. He urged all concerned to “exercise maximum restraint” and to refrain from actions that could increase tensions or undermine regional stability.

The UN will continue to work towards a peaceful resolution through his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, and the statement said the organisation “stands ready to continue supporting efforts to advance dialogue and pursue a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

How the Council divided

According to UN News, a draft resolution from the United States was vetoed by Russia, while a rival Russian text, a one-year extension of the mandate to 31 October 2027, did not win the nine votes needed. The US delegate said his country’s draft would have supported the principle of self-determination and “moved the 50-year conflict forward”, and called the status quo unacceptable. The Russian delegate said the American text would have imposed one-sided solutions, and described his vote as “a life-saving veto, so to speak”.

MINURSO was established under Security Council resolution 690 of 1991, following settlement proposals accepted in 1988 by Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO. These provided for a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco. The referendum never took place. In 2007 Morocco put forward an Autonomy Proposal as a basis for negotiations, which envisages the territory as self-governing under Moroccan sovereignty, UN News noted.