UN Peacekeeping Mission in Western Sahara Concludes as Security Council Fails to Renew Mandate

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has begun to wind down after the UN Security Council failed to renew its mandate. Competing resolutions from the United States and Russia were defeated, leaving the mission without an extension. Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have extended the mission and cemented Morocco's autonomy plan, while a rival Russian resolution also failed to pass. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated the UN remains committed to supporting a political solution for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara despite the mission's end.