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The draft resolution on the Sahara issue, drafted by the Biden administration, has passed review by the «Club of Friends of Western Sahara», consisting of France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, and the United States. The text has been shared with other members of the Security Council for closed-session discussions, according to an American media report.
Algeria, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, proposed extending MINURSO's mandate to include human rights monitoring—a request reportedly rejected by the United States and France, according to a Moroccan source.
Mozambique, a country that recognizes the «SADR» supported Algeria’s request; however, barring a major shift in the next 48 hours, it seems Russia has distanced itself from this proposal. For context, in 2013, President Vladimir Putin opposed a similar American draft resolution under the Obama administration.
Will Morocco be able to persuade Russia to move away from its typical abstention ?
During the discussions, Algeria pushed for including earlier Security Council resolutions in the preamble, especially those advocating for a referendum in the Sahara. The Security Council members, however, are focused on texts since 2007, marking the year Morocco introduced its autonomy proposal for the region.
Algeria also expressed opposition to the parts calling on Morocco, Polisario, Algeria, and Mauritania to return to the round-table format initiated by former UN envoy Horst Köhler. Instead, Algeria called for «direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario».
On this matter, it seems Mozambique and Russia favored a broader reference to all previous Personal Envoys rather than highlighting only Horst Köhler’s contributions, according to the same American media outlet. This proposal aligns with Algeria’s rejection of the roundtable approach, which brought the four parties together in Geneva in December 2018 and March 2019, with Algeria represented by then-foreign ministers Ramtane Lamamra and Sabri Boukadoum.
For now, the United States has turned down the amendments proposed by Algeria, Russia, and Mozambique, maintaining its usual leadership stance on the Sahara issue. This refusal may influence the voting stance of certain Council members, notably Russia, which has opted for abstention since 2018. A shift in Russia’s position would further highlight its improving relations with Morocco.
Morocco is actively working to secure Russia's support, as shown by recent meetings in Moscow between Moroccan Ambassador Lotfi Bouchaara and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, held on October 14 and again on October 24.
The Security Council is expected to vote on a new resolution to extend MINURSO’s mandate for another year on Wednesday, October 30, with ongoing consultations among Council members in the meantime.
