The UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara is closing after 35 years, Reuters reported. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on November 1 that the mission's "liquidation phase" had begun. Its assets will be sent back to the countries that contributed troops.
The mandate of the mission, known as MINURSO, expired on October 31. A day earlier, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution to extend it for a year, Al Jazeera reported. The text had the support of 11 of the 15 Security Council members, including France and the United Kingdom. A rival Russian draft then failed, with two votes in favour, one against and 11 abstentions.
The US draft would have removed the word "referendum" from the mission's name. It would also have made Morocco's autonomy plan the only basis for further talks. A UN report cited by Al Jazeera said MINURSO has 155 military personnel. The mission was set to cost $62 million in the fiscal year that began in June. New Vision reported that the force had 359 civilian and military personnel as of June.
US ambassador Mike Waltz said it was unfortunate that the veto was used to keep the letter "R" for referendum. He said the status quo is not acceptable. Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the draft favoured one side. He added that the council cannot predetermine questions of sovereignty.
Morocco welcomed the result. Its royal palace said UN staff and equipment should leave in the coming days. It also said the issue should be withdrawn from the Security Council. Rabat said it remains committed to the ceasefire. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita called the referendum reference an "anachronism", according to Reuters.
Algeria's foreign ministry expressed "deep regret". It blamed what it called the US draft's "excessive bias" towards Morocco. The Polisario Front said it was "concerned at the deadlock" in the council. Its UN representative, Sidi Omar, welcomed Russia's veto. He said the US text would undermine Sahrawi self-determination.
MINURSO was created in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and organise a referendum on the territory's future. The vote never took place because of disagreements over who could take part, Reuters said. Morocco has claimed the territory since Spain withdrew. Al Jazeera reported that decades of fighting drove at least 170,000 people into refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. Low-level fighting has continued since 2020, it added.