Pretoria (South Africa), 24 October 2026 (SPS) – Sahrawi Ambassador to South Africa Bah El Mad Abdallah has warned that the US draft resolution on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) could undermine international law and the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
In an interview published by Algerian newspaper Algérie 54 on 22 October, the Sahrawi diplomat stressed the need to uphold Western Sahara's status as a non-self-governing territory, the UN's decolonization principles and the impartiality of the Security Council.
He warned that excluding independence in advance from the available options would prejudge the outcome of the political process and restrict the Sahrawi people's exercise of their right to self-determination. He also stressed that MINURSO's mandate must remain consistent with the relevant UN resolutions and the settlement plan jointly developed by the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
The ambassador further urged the Security Council to consider all relevant UN resolutions on Western Sahara rather than relying solely on Resolution 2797 (2025). He also cited the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee vote on 15 October reaffirming support for the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
The article also referred to a letter sent by the Polisario Front's Representative to the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, Sidi Mohamed Omar, to Greece's Ambassador to the UN and Security Council President, Aglaia Balta, concerning the preliminary US draft resolution circulated to Council members on 22 October.
According to the article, the Polisario Front considers the US draft unsuitable as a basis for discussions on MINURSO and the peace process, warning that its adoption without substantial amendments could lead the Polisario Front to withdraw from the political process.
The Sahrawi ambassador reaffirmed the Polisario Front's commitment to achieving a just, lasting and definitive peace, stressing that any solution must guarantee the Sahrawi people's free exercise of their right to self-determination in accordance with UN principles and resolutions.
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