New York (United Nations), November 10, 2026 (SPS) – Namibia has reaffirmed the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination, warning that removing the referendum from the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) would undermine the decolonization process and legitimize Morocco's occupation of the territory.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday during the debate under the “veto initiative” (Resolution 76/262), Namibia's Permanent Representative, Penda Naanda, welcomed Russia's veto of the US-sponsored draft resolution on October 30, saying it had prevented the Security Council from legitimizing annexation and occupation.
Naanda criticized the US draft for seeking to remove the term “referendum” from MINURSO's name and promote autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole basis for negotiations. He stressed that imposing a predetermined outcome on the Sahrawi people was not negotiation but an attempt to dictate a colonial solution without their consent.
Namibia also expressed regret over the failure to adopt Russia's proposal for a one-year technical extension of MINURSO, which it said could have preserved the UN presence, protected civilians and maintained ceasefire monitoring.
Reaffirming its position, Namibia highlighted three fundamental principles: the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, the UN doctrine of decolonization, and African solidarity, recalling that the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a founding member of the African Union.
The Namibian representative recalled his country's struggle against colonialism and apartheid, stressing that Namibia had rejected externally imposed autonomy and achieved independence through the implementation of the UN-supervised referendum process.
He rejected claims that a referendum in Western Sahara was no longer realistic, considering that decades of occupation could not extinguish the Sahrawi people's aspirations for freedom and self-determination.
Namibia called on the Security Council to resume direct negotiations between Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, without preconditions, while ensuring the protection of human rights in the occupied territories.
It also urged the General Assembly to assume a leading role in advancing the decolonization of Western Sahara, recalling the UN Secretary-General's statement that the departure of MINURSO does not affect the Sahrawi people's inalienable rights.
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