ours after the Security Council’s double failure, Morocco’s Royal Cabinet took note on Friday, October 30, of the end of MINURSO’s mandate, in a statement carried by MAP, the state news agency.
Rabat called it “a significant step toward the final closure of the Moroccan Sahara file at the United Nations,” and drew an immediate consequence on the ground.
“The non-renewal of MINURSO’s mandate clearly means that the presence of this Mission in the Kingdom’s southern provinces, notably through its staff, its vehicles, its equipment and its symbols, should end in the coming days.”
The end of the file in New York
The statement speaks of “a 35-year page” now turned. Rabat expects the Sahara to come off the Council’s agenda: no more periodic meetings, no more reports from the Secretary-General, no more briefings from his Personal Envoy.
The UN political process is, in the statement’s words, “suspended,” and similar steps will follow “within the other UN bodies.”
What does not change
Morocco says it remains “firmly committed to the ceasefire,” in strict respect of its territorial integrity. It notes that more than two-thirds of UN members, including permanent members of the Council, back autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty “as the only framework for a solution.”
The UN has not said when or how it would withdraw its teams, and the Council can still adopt a text before the mandate expires on Saturday, October 31. Friday’s two votes are covered in our piece on the Russian veto.
Photo: official portrait of King Mohammed VI. MAP.
MAP Express - Communiqué du Cabinet Royal
MAP - Communiqué du Cabinet royal (version arabe)
The Moorish Times - Sahara à l’ONU: Moscou bloque le texte américain, la MINURSO reste sans mandat
