By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Lebrief
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.
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.
31 OctParis and London seek compromise to extend MINURSO in the Sahara31 OctAlgiers criticises non-renewal of MINURSO mandate in the Sahara
31 OctMoroccan Parliament to discuss Sahara developments on MondayThe Union of Socialist Popular Forces has reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative in the Sahara after the Security Council’s 30 October deliberations. The party criticised the lack of a new resolution extending MINURSO’s mandate and welcomed the Royal Cabinet’s statement, according to its Political Bureau.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: Libération (Maroc) ·
The UN Security Council did not renew MINURSO’s mandate at its meeting on 30 October 2026, according to Aujourd’hui le Maroc, LeBrief and Le Matin. Financial Afrik reports that the decision followed a disagreement between Washington and Moscow. Rabat sees it as a step towards closing the Sahara dossier at the UN and says more than two-thirds of the organisation’s members support its autonomy plan.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: Lebrief ·
Russia vetoed the US draft resolution on the Sahara at the UN Security Council on Friday, despite 11 votes in favour, one against and three abstentions, according to Lebrief, TelQuel, Maghreb Emergent and TSA. The text proposed renaming MINURSO and making Moroccan autonomy the basis for negotiations. A Russian counter-draft remains to be voted on: without a text being adopted, the mission’s mandate expires on Saturday 31 October.
🇲🇦 Morocco · Source: Lebrief ·
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 ·
Nador West Med East terminal launches with 3.5 million-container capacityCrown Prince Moulay El Hassan launched operations at Nador West Med’s East terminal on 31 October 2026, on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, according to Lebrief and La Vie éco. With capacity for 3.5 million containers by 2030, it represents an investment of about 5 billion dirhams and was awarded to Marsa Maroc and Terminal Investment Limited for 25 years, according to Le Matin and La Vie éco.
Tebboune pardons 5,539 prisoners in Algeria, with several exclusionsAlgerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has granted a pardon to 5,539 prisoners on the occasion of the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1 November 1954 Revolution. The measure applies to final convictions with a sentence or remaining term of no more than 24 months and excludes, in particular, terrorism, murder and corruption offences, according to the Algerian Presidency.The week in Africa
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