Jordanian academic says MINURSO’s end backs Moroccan autonomy
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MAP
Jordanian academic Adel Al-Hawatma believes the end of MINURSO’s mandate favours a pragmatic political approach to the Sahara conflict. A professor of international relations at Lusail University in Qatar, he presents autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the solution supported by most members of the Security Council, according to MAP.
The non-renewal of MINURSO’s mandate, the UN mission in the Sahara, opens the way to a political approach based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, according to Jordanian academic Adel Al-Hawatma, a professor of international relations at Lusail University in Qatar, cited by MAP. He believes that most members of the Security Council supported the initiative in the vote on the Sahara dossier.
Adel Al-Hawatma considers that MINURSO’s presence was based on approaches overtaken by developments on the ground and contributed to prolonging the conflict. He says the international momentum driven by King Mohammed VI strengthens Morocco’s autonomy initiative, which he describes as a realistic and credible solution with international support.
The position comes after the announcement on 31 October of MINURSO’s imminent withdrawal from the Sahara, followed by several reactions presenting the end of its mandate as a turning point. On 1 November, a Senegalese expert also described the end of the mandate as a turning point.
Updated on 1 November 2026: Bahraini civil society figure Jamal Ahmed Yaqoub Kamal believes the UN Security Council vote confirms support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative for the Sahara. Read: Bahraini figure presents Moroccan autonomy as a reference for the Sahara.
