Morocco has lauded the United Nations Security Council non-renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), describing it as a significant step towards ending the dispute.
A statement issued by the Moroccan Royal Cabinet described the decision as ‘ a major development and a significant step toward the definitive closure of the Moroccan Sahara issue at the United Nations’.
The statement followed the Security Council’s failure, on Friday, to adopt either of two competing draft resolutions seeking to renew the mandate of the MINURSO.
The Security Council voted on two separate draft resolutions on the renewal of MINURSO’s mandate.
A U.S.-drafted resolution, which would make significant changes to the mission’s mandate and future presence, won 11 votes in favor, but was vetoed by Russia.
The council subsequently rejected a Russian-sponsored alternative seeking a straightforward one-year extension of the existing mandate.
The Russian draft won three votes in favor, one vote against, with 11 abstentions, and the United States voted against it.
Reacting to the development, the Royal Cabinet Office said ‘a 35-year chapter has now come to a close’.
‘Rooted in an anachronistic and outdated context, this Mission has long served as a tool for internationalizing the regional dispute concerning the Kingdom of Morocco’s legitimate recovery of its Saharan provinces,’ the statement said.
The statement said the failure to renew the mandate should lead to the withdrawal of MINURSO personnel, vehicles, equipment and other mission symbols from Morocco’s southern provinces.
It further argued that the development should end the Security Council’s consideration of the issue, including periodic meetings and reports by the UN Secretary-General, adding that briefings by the secretary-general’s personal envoy would no longer be necessary.
‘The UN political process, which has unfortunately been marked by the procrastination of other parties and their stubbornness in creating deadlocks and perpetuating the status quo, is thus suspended,’ the statement said.
The Royal Cabinet noted that ‘this major development coincides with the celebration of Unity Day, proclaimed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, to symbolize a break with the previous approach to managing this issue, shifting from a mere management logic to an approach aimed at profoundly transforming the parameters’.
It added that,while expressing its satisfaction with this development, Morocco remains firmly committed to the ceasefire, with strict respect for its territorial integrity, national security, and the tranquility of its citizens.
It expressed optimism that the international momentum launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI will continue at the bilateral and regional levels.
‘It has already succeeded in garnering significant support, as more than two-thirds of UN members, including permanent members of the Security Council and influential powers, clearly support autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole framework for resolving this regional dispute,’ the statement added.