The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution proposed by the United States on the 30th of this month that seeks to affirm Algeria’s crucial role in resolving the Sahara conflict while aiming to foster trust among Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario Front, and Mauritania.
The goal is to support UN efforts and advance the political process toward a mutually agreed solution.
Sources within the UN indicated that Algeria sought to amend the draft resolution, but several of its proposals were rejected by the Security Council.
Algeria, in coordination with Mozambique, suggested adding a provision to expand the MINURSO mission’s mandate to include monitoring human rights in the region.
They also called for referencing past Security Council resolutions advocating for a referendum.
These proposals faced clear opposition from the United States and France, which emphasized adherence to resolutions established since 2007 that call for a realistic, mutually agreed political solution.
Algeria expressed reservations about the mention of roundtable discussions involving Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario.
Instead, it preferred that the UN facilitate direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Additionally, Russia and Mozambique requested that the draft resolution recognize contributions from all previous envoys, rather than solely mentioning former German envoy Horst Köhler.
The US draft proposes extending the MINURSO mission’s mandate for another year until October 30, 2025, and stresses the importance of supporting the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy in activating political dialogue and building on the momentum created by Köhler during his tenure.
The text mentions “Morocco” and “Polisario” six times, compared to five mentions of Algeria and four of Mauritania, reflecting the Security Council’s intent to involve Algeria as a key player in the resolution process.
The draft resolution commends the outcomes of the roundtable meetings held in December 2018 and March 2019, and stresses the necessity for the four parties to maintain their commitment to the political process without preconditions. This is particularly relevant for Algeria, which has resisted participating in these discussions and insists on direct negotiations with the Polisario.
In the current deliberations, the draft resolution does not reference the proposal for dividing the Sahara put forth by personal envoy Stefan de Mistura on October 16, which was rejected by both Morocco and the Polisario.
It also omits de Mistura’s comments on Morocco’s autonomy proposal, merely acknowledging the Moroccan proposal from 2007 and praising the kingdom’s “serious and credible” efforts to advance the political process, before briefly noting the Polisario’s proposal from the same date.
The draft resolution asserts that achieving a fair and lasting political solution to the conflict is essential for enhancing regional cooperation within the Arab Maghreb Union and for ensuring stability in the Sahel region.
It lauds the UN personal envoy’s efforts through informal consultations held in March 2023 with various parties, including France, Russia, and Spain, but overlooks the meetings de Mistura conducted in September during the UN General Assembly. This oversight reflects inconsistencies in the approach to different stages of diplomatic dialogue.
The Security Council is expected to convene tomorrow, Wednesday, to vote on this resolution, which will reaffirm the necessity for all parties to commit to UN efforts in achieving a realistic and mutually agreed political solution to this regional conflict.
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