Who said what at the UNSC vote on the Sahara?

The UN Security Council voted on Thursday to extend the mandate of the MINURSO for another year, until October 31, 2025. But the vote was marred by divisions among Council members.   

This is the first vote on MINURSO since Algeria joined the Council earlier this year.

The resolution, sponsored by the United States, was adopted with 12 votes in favor, two abstentions (Russia and Mozambique). The Algerian delegation, deeply dissatisfied with the resolution, chose not to vote.

Algeria’s frustration stems from the Council’s perceived disregard for its proposed amendments to the draft resolution. The amendments sought to stress the importance of human rights in the Sahara context and to note the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.

“The penholder decided to impose its own draft resolution and to put it in blue yesterday at 5:30 p.m,” the Algerian representative said.

He further criticized the Council’s alleged double standards and warned that denying the Sahrawi people their right to self-determination would undermine the Council’s legitimacy.

The United States, as the penholder on the Sahara, defended the resolution, saying that it reflects a balanced approach and supports the ongoing efforts to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict. 

The US representative said that it’s important to be realistic and compromise, urging all parties to engage in constructive dialogue.

Russia abstained from both the United States-prepared draft resolution and Algeria’s proposed amendments, saying that the resolution does not reflect the real situation on the ground and is unlikely to facilitate a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict. 

Russia criticized the disregard for their proposals and suggestions, including a request to clearly delineate the two sides of the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front. 

Russia expressed doubt about the United States’ ability to act as an impartial participant in discussions on the Sahara.

Algeria and Russia both expressed concerns about the lack of clarity in the draft resolution regarding the distinction between the parties directly involved in the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front, and the neighboring countries, Algeria and Mauritania. 

Algeria proposed a modification to the text, suggesting the use of terms like “the parties” and “states of the region” instead of explicitly naming the four countries. 

This aligns with Algeria’s long-held stance that it is not a party to the conflict and opposes any attempt to frame the situation as a regional dispute. 

Human rights was another sticking point in the discussions. The initial US proposal suggested a change from “urging” cooperation with the OHCHR to simply “taking note of the call” for it.

Algeria, on the other hand, pushed for a more robust mandate for MINURSO. Their proposal envisioned the peacekeeping mission actively monitoring human rights violations, investigating them, and reporting them annually to the Security Council. They also sought to expand MINURSO’s scope to include violations of international humanitarian law.

None of these more stringent proposals made it into the final draft resolution. But the US did manage to strengthen some language by changing it to “strongly urging” enhanced cooperation with the OHCHR, including facilitating visits to the region.

Mozambique voted in favor of the amendments proposed by Algeria, stating that they were consistent with previous Council decisions and valid on their own merit, particularly regarding human rights. 

Mozambique, which abstained from voting on the resolution, said that the latter in its current form would not assist the parties in achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution but rather entrenches a trend of gradual departure from the Mission’s original mandate.

France called for a cessation of hostilities and a return to a ceasefire, noting the risks posed by the conflict to regional stability and local populations. 

France welcomed the resumption of refuelling operations at MINURSO observation sites and said that respecting the Mission’s freedom of movement is important. 

France did not vote on Algeria’s proposed amendment, believing that the current mandate is suitable for the situation in Western Sahara.

Switzerland, as the Council President for October, said that supporting a consensus that allows the mandate to be discharged is paramount. 

They voted on the amendment regarding OHCHR’s access to the region, stating their strong attachment to the protection of human rights in all contexts, including Western Sahara, while it abstained on the second amendment to ensure continuity for the Mission’s work.