Madar (Nouakchott) - The UN Security Council has received a first version of a draft resolution written by the United States, the penholder on Western Sahara, that makes Morocco's autonomy plan the only framework for negotiations and drops the word "referendum" from the name of the MINURSO mission, the Moroccan website Hespress reported on Thursday, October 22, 2026, ahead of the mission's mandate expiring on October 31.
According to Hespress, the draft would end the peacekeeping mandate on April 30, 2027, followed by a special political mission from May 1 to October 31, 2027, with a gradual military drawdown and a cut of at least 50% in authorised strength by January 31, 2027. It praises envoy Staffan de Mistura and the United States for facilitating three rounds of direct talks in Washington and Madrid between Morocco, the Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania.
The Algerian website TSA reported that the US draft extends the mission's mandate by a year, removes the reference to a referendum and presents autonomy as the only "realistic" basis, adding that Russia and China could oppose any change to the mandate's foundations and that the text is still under consultation.
In a letter dated Thursday to the Council presidency, the Polisario, through its UN representative Sidi Mohamed Omar, called the draft a "dangerous and unprecedented break" with international law and made its continued participation conditional on substantial changes, according to Hespress.
Madar has not seen the text. Mauritania, which took part in the talks, maintains its stance of "positive neutrality"; the Council vote is expected before the end of the month.
