Washington, 24 October 2026 (SPS) – The Polisario Front's Representative to the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, Sidi Mohamed Omar, has warned that the US draft resolution on Western Sahara represents an unprecedented departure from international law and the principles underpinning the UN's treatment of the territory as a decolonisation issue.
In an article published by US-based PassBlue on 23 October, journalist Anton Ferreira examined the implications of the draft resolution circulated to Security Council members on 22 October, days before MINURSO's mandate expires on 31 October.
The draft proposes renaming the mission the “United Nations Mission for Western Sahara,” removing the reference to the referendum, ending its current peacekeeping mandate after six months and subsequently transforming it into a special political mission until 31 October 2027.
It also promotes what it describes as “genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty” as the only viable solution and makes Morocco's expanded and updated autonomy proposal the sole basis for further negotiations, raising concerns that the Sahrawi people's right to independence would be excluded.
In a letter to the Security Council's President, Greek Ambassador Aglaia Balta, Sidi Mohamed Omar described the draft as a “very serious and unprecedented departure” from international law and the established framework for addressing Western Sahara as a decolonisation issue.
He stressed that the text undermines the foundations of the UN-led peace process and the territory's international legal status, warning that its adoption without substantial amendments could force the Polisario Front to withdraw from the political process.
Speaking to PassBlue, the Sahrawi diplomat recalled that MINURSO was established primarily to organise a referendum on self-determination. Removing the referendum from the mission's name and changing its mandate would therefore represent a fundamental departure from its original purpose.
He also called for sufficient time to be given to the process involving Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania, urging against attempts to impose a predetermined solution to a conflict lasting more than five decades.
Erik Hagen, a board member of the Western Sahara Resource Watch organisation, said the draft violated the UN Charter and risked legitimising occupation rather than ending it. He warned that the implications extended beyond Western Sahara, potentially undermining fundamental principles of international law elsewhere.
Hagen further stressed that imposing a solution under Moroccan sovereignty would not resolve the conflict, adding that the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination would remain valid regardless of any Security Council decision.
The article also cited UN Secretary-General António Guterres's report to the Security Council on 1 October, which reaffirmed the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and stressed that any proposal must be subject to genuine consultation, allowing them to freely and voluntarily accept or reject it.
Addressing the humanitarian dimension, the article highlighted concerns over Sahrawi refugees in the camps, warning against using their prolonged displacement and deteriorating living conditions to justify a return that fails to address the root causes of their displacement. It stressed the importance of respecting refugees' free choice and ensuring that their future is not dictated by external political considerations.
The proposed changes have also raised concerns about renewed escalation and further setbacks to negotiations, particularly amid criticism by the Polisario Front of suggestions that Moroccan autonomy should serve as the basis for future talks.
The controversy comes as the Security Council prepares to consider renewing MINURSO's mandate, amid fears that the proposed changes could sideline the referendum and undermine the framework established by the UN settlement plan and the 1991 ceasefire.
Washington, 24 October 2026 (SPS) – The Polisario Front's Representative to the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, Sidi Mohamed Omar, has warned that the US draft resolution on Western Sahara represents an unprecedented departure from international law and the principles underpinning the UN's treatment of the territory as a decolonisation issue.
In an article published by US-based PassBlue on 23 October, journalist Anton Ferreira examined the implications of the draft resolution circulated to Security Council members on 22 October, days before MINURSO's mandate expires on 31 October.
The draft proposes renaming the mission the “United Nations Mission for Western Sahara,” removing the reference to the referendum, ending its current peacekeeping mandate after six months and subsequently transforming it into a special political mission until 31 October 2027.
It also promotes what it describes as “genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty” as the only viable solution and makes Morocco's expanded and updated autonomy proposal the sole basis for further negotiations, raising concerns that the Sahrawi people's right to independence would be excluded.
In a letter to the Security Council's President, Greek Ambassador Aglaia Balta, Sidi Mohamed Omar described the draft as a “very serious and unprecedented departure” from international law and the established framework for addressing Western Sahara as a decolonisation issue.
He stressed that the text undermines the foundations of the UN-led peace process and the territory's international legal status, warning that its adoption without substantial amendments could force the Polisario Front to withdraw from the political process.
Speaking to PassBlue, the Sahrawi diplomat recalled that MINURSO was established primarily to organise a referendum on self-determination. Removing the referendum from the mission's name and changing its mandate would therefore represent a fundamental departure from its original purpose.
He also called for sufficient time to be given to the process involving Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania, urging against attempts to impose a predetermined solution to a conflict lasting more than five decades.
Erik Hagen, a board member of the Western Sahara Resource Watch organisation, said the draft violated the UN Charter and risked legitimising occupation rather than ending it. He warned that the implications extended beyond Western Sahara, potentially undermining fundamental principles of international law elsewhere.
Hagen further stressed that imposing a solution under Moroccan sovereignty would not resolve the conflict, adding that the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination would remain valid regardless of any Security Council decision.
The article also cited UN Secretary-General António Guterres's report to the Security Council on 1 October, which reaffirmed the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and stressed that any proposal must be subject to genuine consultation, allowing them to freely and voluntarily accept or reject it.
Addressing the humanitarian dimension, the article highlighted concerns over Sahrawi refugees in the camps, warning against using their prolonged displacement and deteriorating living conditions to justify a return that fails to address the root causes of their displacement. It stressed the importance of respecting refugees' free choice and ensuring that their future is not dictated by external political considerations.
The proposed changes have also raised concerns about renewed escalation and further setbacks to negotiations, particularly amid criticism by the Polisario Front of suggestions that Moroccan autonomy should serve as the basis for future talks.
The controversy comes as the Security Council prepares to consider renewing MINURSO's mandate, amid fears that the proposed changes could sideline the referendum and undermine the framework established by the UN settlement plan and the 1991 ceasefire.
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