Sahara: Polisario threatens to leave peace process
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Yabiladi
The Polisario Front warns that it could withdraw from the Sahara peace process if the Security Council adopts the US draft resolution without substantial changes. The text would make autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty the basis for negotiations, according to the movement’s letter to the Security Council president reported by Yabiladi.
The Polisario Front is threatening to withdraw entirely from the United Nations peace process on the Sahara if the US draft resolution is adopted without substantial changes, according to Yabiladi. In a letter to the president of the Security Council, the movement says the text reflects Washington’s position, notably its recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, and risks undermining the political process.
The US draft would make the autonomy proposed by Morocco the sole basis for negotiations and present it as the only possible solution. The Polisario rejects this framework, which it considers contrary to the Sahrawis’ right to self-determination and liable to predetermine the outcome of the discussions. It also disputes the use of Resolution 2797 of 2025 as the main reference, saying that consideration of the issue must take into account all relevant UN resolutions.
The text provides for the termination of the peacekeeping mandate of MINURSO, the United Nations mission in the Sahara, on 30 April 2027, followed by its transformation into a special political mission on 1 May. It also provides for a reduction of at least 50% in the authorised military personnel by 31 January 2027.
The Polisario’s threat comes after it challenged the method of the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura on 16 October, and the adoption, on 15 October, of a UN resolution on the Sahara by 152 votes. The renewal of MINURSO’s mandate is also being considered by the United Nations.
Update of 23 October 2026: The United States is proposing to extend MINURSO’s mandate while profoundly changing the role of the UN mission in the Sahara. Read: Washington seeks to change MINURSO’s mandate in the Sahara.
