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The Trump administration is stepping up its involvement ahead of the April deadline at the UN Security Council concerning the Western Sahara issue, with a significant announcement. «We are conducting a strategic review of the peacekeeping force deployed in Western Sahara for the past 50 years», declared Mike Waltz, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, during his testimony before Congress on UN reform.
This stance is in line with the policy unveiled by Marco Rubio at the end of February in an official document detailing the United States' foreign policy objectives for 2026-2030. «The Department will lead efforts to end costly and ineffective peacekeeping and special political missions around the world», the document outlines.
For several months, MINURSO has been gradually reducing its personnel. This shift signals the start of a major restructuring, expected to be detailed next April during a briefing by the UN Secretary-General, as mandated by Security Council resolution 2797, adopted on October 31. During this session, the Council requested António Guterres to «present, within six months following the mandate's extension, a strategic review concerning MINURSO's future mandate, taking into account the outcome of negotiations».
The UN mission is now expected to concentrate on monitoring ceasefire violations in Western Sahara, as the possibility of organizing a referendum has been excluded from Security Council resolutions.
