Bir Lehlou, Sahrawi Republic, 31 October 2026) SPS - The Frente POLISARIO issued a communique today following the meeting held yesterday by the UN Security Council regarding the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The Frente POLISARIO noted that the Security Council was unable to adopt a resolution concerning the mandate of MINURSO, which expires on 31 October 2026, due to theimpasse resulting from the stance of the United States and the positions taken by a small number of other member states. These positions, the Frente POLISARIO stated, reflected clear support for expansionism and colonialism, and reinforced a pattern of double standards in addressing international issues.
The full text of the communique, as received by SPS:
FRENTE POLISARIO
COMMUNIQUE
Bir Lehlou, 31 October 2026
The Frente POLISARIO closely followed the Security Council’s meeting on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which was held yesterday. It further notes that the Security Council could not adopt a resolution on the mandate of MINURSO, which expires on 31 October 2026.
The Frente POLISARIO notes with concern that the impasse during the Security Council’s proceedings stemmed primarily from the draft resolution introduced by the United States, which fully reproduced the national position of the U.S. Government as well as that of Morocco, the occupying state.The deadlock was further exacerbated by the positions taken by a small number of UN Security Council members states, which reflected clear support for expansionism and colonialism, and reinforced a pattern of double standards in addressing international issues.
The Frente POLISARIO therefore notes with satisfaction that such a draft resolution was not adopted by the Security Council. Had it been adopted, the draft resolution would have severely eroded the foundations of the UN peace process in Western Sahara and created a dangerous precedent with destabilizing implications for broader regional and international peace and security.
In this regard, the Frente POLISARIO expresses its profound gratitude for the principled stance taken by the Russian Federation in opposing the draft resolution, and acknowledges with appreciation the abstentions of China, Pakistan, and Somalia. The Frente POLISARIO also recognizes the positions of the majority of member states that have expressed their support for a just and lasting solution, which provides for the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, and for the role of MINURSO in line with the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General.
The Frente POLISARIO reiterates its deep appreciation and gratitude for the principled position of brotherly Algeria and to all allies and friendly countries that have stood by the Sahrawi people in their struggle to defend their legitimate rights in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Frente POLISARIO recalls that MINURSO was established by the Security Council pursuant to its resolution 690 (1991). The Mission was deployed in the Territory based on the mutual agreement of the two parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, under the UN-OAU Settlement Plan. Consequently, any attempt to depart unilaterally from this mutually accepted framework and alter the mission’s mandate to align with the position of Morocco, the occupying state, is utterly unacceptable.
The Frente POLISARIO notes the distorted presentation by Morocco, the occupying state, regarding the outcome of the Security Council’s deliberations on MINURSO. This approach mirrors previous misrepresentations of the 1975 International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Western Sahara and is intended primarily to dupe the domestic public opinion.
In this regard, the Frente POLISARIO warns of any actions taken by the occupying state that could imperil the United Nations peace process in Western Sahara and the mandate of MINURSO. It holds Morocco, the occupying state, fully responsible for any serious repercussions that may arise for regional peace and security.
For over three decades, the Frente POLISARIO has cooperated constructively with the United Nations efforts, actively engaging by making substantial concessions to advance the peace process. In this same spirit, it submitted its expanded proposal to the UN Secretary-General on 20 October 2025 as a further manifestation of its sincere commitment to working toward peace and ensuring the establishment of security and stability in the region.
In this context, 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.
Related blogs
