Rival draft resolutions from the United States and Russia both failed at the UN Security Council on Friday 30 October, leaving the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, without a renewed mandate as its existing one expired on Saturday 31 October.

Russia vetoed the US-drafted text. The Russian draft failed on a vote of three in favour, one against and 11 abstentions; nine yes votes were needed, according to the reports we have seen. One report said France, the United Kingdom and eight non-permanent members backed the US text, but neither gave a full tally for it.

What happened at the Security Council

MINURSO was created after a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991 to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory's future. According to reporting, the referendum never took place because of disagreements over who could vote.

Reports differ on what the two drafts contained. One account says the US draft would have extended the mission for one year, cut its military component, dropped the referendum from its name and called for a census of refugees. Another says the same draft would have ended the peacekeeping mission on 30 April 2027 and replaced it with a political mission, affirming that "genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution". The Russian draft would have extended the mission, for one year according to one account and until 31 October 2027 according to the other.

One report, citing a UN Secretary-General report, put MINURSO's strength at 155 military personnel and its cost at $62 million for the fiscal year that began in June 2026.

What each side said

  • Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, said a referendum never took place because of voter-eligibility disagreements: "UN officials have been telling us this reality for 30 years." He said the veto stopped "historic steps toward finally ending a 50-year conflict" and that the US would keep working with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.
  • Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's UN envoy, said: "We stress the fact that the Security Council cannot automatically predetermine matters relating to sovereignty."
  • Morocco's royal palace said the UN political process "is thus suspended" and that the file should come off the Council's agenda. It said MINURSO's personnel, vehicles and equipment should leave "in the coming days", and that Morocco remains committed to the ceasefire.
  • Sidi Omar, the Polisario Front's UN representative, thanked Russia, said the US text would "torpedo the foundations of the U.N. peace process" and said the Polisario remains "fully committed to the peace process".
  • Oxfam said losing MINURSO's monitoring and de-escalation functions "risks undermining security and stability".