By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Lebrief
Moroccan government spokesperson Samir Belkhir reaffirmed on 31 October the executive’s determination to defend Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and accelerate development in the southern provinces. This was the government’s first official reaction to the latest developments in the Security Council dossier, LeBrief reports.
Ongoing story · day by day
Guterres and the UN place self-determination at the center of negotiations on the Sahara, while several countries support Morocco’s autonomy plan.
1 NovFormer MINURSO head calls for mission’s closure in the Sahara1 NovMINURSO takes first steps towards withdrawal in the Sahara
1 NovBahraini actor presents Morocco’s autonomy as reference for the SaharaMoroccan government spokesman Samir Belfkih says the Royal Cabinet statement reflects international momentum around Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and its autonomy plan. He links its publication to the first celebration of Unity Day, according to his statement reported by MAP.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: MAP ·
The United Kingdom, Bahrain and Liberia have reaffirmed their support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative for the Sahara before the UN Security Council. They expressed their positions on 30 October 2026, during discussions on the MINURSO mandate, according to Lebrief.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: Lebrief ·
The UN Security Council did not renew MINURSO’s mandate, which expired on 31 October, after a US draft was blocked by a Russian veto and a Russian proposal failed to secure enough votes, reports ACI. Jean-Paul Carteron, president of the Crans Montana Forum, calls the outcome a “historic turning point” and presents autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the most credible settlement framework, according to MAP. ThisDay reports that Rabat welcomed the end of the 35-year-old mission.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: MAP ·
France and the United Kingdom are seeking a Security Council compromise to extend MINURSO in the Sahara, whose mandate expires at midnight on 31 October. Their initiative follows Russia’s veto of a US draft, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Yabiladi.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: Yabiladi ·
Moroccan cartoonist Yasser Mounbir sentenced to four years in prisonMoroccan cartoonist Yasser Mounbir, 22, has been sentenced at first instance to four years in prison and fined 40,000 dirhams over caricatures of King Mohammed VI posted on Instagram, according to Yabiladi, Citizen Digital and RFI. RFI says he had been in pre-trial detention in Casablanca for more than five months and was tried on 30 October 2026.
Libya and Niger sign strategic cooperation memorandumLibyan armed forces deputy commander Saddam Haftar received Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine and a delegation of political and military officials in Benghazi. The two countries signed a strategic cooperation memorandum and agreed to continue consultations and monitor its implementation, according to Alwihda Info and Tamtam Info.The week in Africa
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