Mike Waltz puts Western Sahara negotiations under renewed diplomatic pressure

Thursday 01 - 10:17

The Western Sahara dispute has entered another sensitive phase at the United Nations, with Washington again placing the need for a concrete political outcome at the center of its message.

On 30 September 2026, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz met representatives of the Polisario Front in New York. Following the meeting, Waltz highlighted the prolonged situation of people living in the Tindouf camps and called for tangible political options rather than another prolonged period of waiting.

In a message published on X, the American diplomat wrote that refugees in the Tindouf camps had been waiting for 50 years and deserved “real choices, not another decade of waiting.” He added that “the basis for a solution is on the table.”

The brief statement did not disclose the details of the discussions or indicate how the Polisario delegation responded. It nevertheless comes at a significant moment for the UN-led process, only weeks before the Security Council is due to address the future of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO.

Resolution 2797 reshaped the negotiating framework

The diplomatic backdrop to the meeting was established by Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on 31 October 2025.

The resolution extended MINURSO's mandate until 31 October 2026 and called for negotiations to take Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the basis for discussions. It also urged the parties to engage without preconditions and referred to genuine autonomy as potentially representing the most feasible outcome, while maintaining the objective of reaching a mutually acceptable political settlement providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

The resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favor, no votes against and three abstentions, while Algeria did not participate in the vote. The United States was among the members voting in favor.

The United States subsequently described the resolution as an opportunity to accelerate the political process. During the Security Council meeting, Washington urged the parties to engage seriously using Morocco's autonomy proposal as the basis for negotiations.

Washington links diplomacy to the humanitarian dimension

Waltz's latest statement places particular emphasis on the passage of time and the circumstances of the populations in the Tindouf camps.

Rather than outlining a new negotiating formula, the ambassador's message points to the existence of an established framework and stresses the need for progress. The wording therefore connects the humanitarian dimension of the dispute with the broader diplomatic effort to move negotiations beyond a prolonged stalemate.

The meeting also demonstrates that Washington continues to maintain direct contact with the various actors involved in the political process. The latest encounter took place in New York as the United Nations General Assembly was holding its 81st session.

October deadline adds pressure to the process

The timing of the meeting is particularly significant. Resolution 2797 set 31 October 2026 as the expiry date of the current MINURSO mandate, making the coming weeks an important period for discussions within the Security Council.

The United States has played a central role in drafting Security Council texts on the Western Sahara file. The 2025 resolution itself originated from a US draft submitted to the Council before its adoption.

Against this background, Waltz's meeting with the Polisario delegation can be viewed as part of broader diplomatic consultations rather than as the announcement of a new agreement.

A political process still dependent on negotiations

The current UN framework does not itself constitute a final settlement. Resolution 2797 calls on the parties to negotiate toward a political solution and explicitly retains the requirement that the outcome be mutually acceptable.

That distinction remains important as diplomatic activity intensifies ahead of the October deadline. The central question is now how the parties will respond to the negotiating framework established by the Security Council and whether sustained engagement can produce further movement in the political process.

For Washington, Waltz's latest message reinforces a recurring theme: the long-running dispute cannot be separated from the consequences of continued political deadlock. With the MINURSO mandate approaching its scheduled renewal date, the coming diplomatic exchanges are likely to determine how the UN process enters its next phase.