New York (United Nations), 1 November 2026 (SPS) – Following the Statement issued today by the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General regarding the cessation of the operations of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, Member of the National Secretariat and the Frente POLISARIO Representative at the United Nations, issued a Communique stating the Frente POLISARIO’s position concerning these developments.
The full text of the communique, as received by SPS:
FRENTE POLISARIO REPRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS
COMMUNIQUE
New York, 1 November 2026
The Frente POLISARIO has taken note of the statement issued today by the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, regarding the cessation of the operations of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The Frente POLISARIO recalls that MINURSO was established to implement the UN-OAU Settlement Plan and create the necessary conditions for the Sahrawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence by means of a free and fair referendum with a view to bringing about the decolonization of Western Sahara.
Supported by specific members of the Security Council, Morocco, the occupying state, did everything in its power to obstruct and undermine MINURSO’s mandate since its inception. This culminated in 2016 with its expulsion of the Mission’s civilian component, which included observers from the African Union.
Morocco, the occupying state, and its allies bear full responsibility for undermining the mandate of MINURSO and for the consequences that may result from the cessation of the Mission’s operations in Western Sahara.
As the UN Secretary-General has underscored, the departure of MINURSO does not abrogate the inalienable rights of the Sahrawi people.
The Frente POLISARIO emphasizes that the Sahrawi people remain strongly committed to their inalienable, non-negotiable and non-imprescriptible right to self-determination and independence and to defending their rights by all legitimate means as enshrined in relevant UN resolutions.
While recalling the content of its Communique issued on 31 October 2026, the Frente POLISARIO reaffirms its steadfast commitment to cooperating with the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Security Council in the pursuit of a just, lasting, and definitive solution for the decolonization of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa.
Dr. Sidi M. Omar
Ambassador
Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations
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