US Weighs Future of MINURSO as UN Security Council Deadline Approaches

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Officials Follow the Moroccan Sahara File

The consultations are taking place with the involvement of senior figures in the US administration.

Massad Boulos, senior adviser to President Donald Trump on African affairs, and Michael Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, are among the officials involved in the discussions, Africa Intelligence reported.

Their participation highlights the importance Washington attaches to the issue as the Security Council approaches a decision with implications for the UN’s role on the ground and the wider diplomatic process.

The US position will be particularly significant during negotiations among Security Council members over the wording and substance of the forthcoming resolution.

MINURSO’s Mandate Under Strategic Review

Established in 1991, MINURSO was created in connection with plans for a referendum on self-determination in the Moroccan Sahara. The vote was never held, and the dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front remains unresolved despite successive international diplomatic initiatives.

The latest US consultations follow the presentation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s report on the Moroccan Sahara and a briefing by his personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura.

The Security Council is also awaiting a strategic review of MINURSO’s future, requested under Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025.

That review is expected to inform discussions about the mission’s continued relevance, responsibilities and place within the broader UN-led political process.

Morocco and the Polisario Front Maintain Diverging Positions

The debate over MINURSO’s future reflects the fundamental differences between the principal parties to the dispute.

Morocco continues to promote its autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for a political settlement. Rabat has also advocated changes to the mission’s role in the context of evolving diplomatic efforts.

The Polisario Front, meanwhile, maintains its demand for self-determination, including through a referendum.

These competing positions frame the diplomatic challenge facing the United Nations: determining how its mission should operate while supporting efforts to reach a mutually acceptable political solution.

October 31 Decision Could Shape the Mission’s Next Phase

The Security Council is scheduled to address MINURSO’s mandate on October 31, when the current authorization is due to expire.

The decision will determine not only how long the mission continues but potentially also the responsibilities it will be expected to fulfil in the coming period.

For Washington, the consultations offer an opportunity to assess the available policy choices before formal negotiations intensify. For the wider diplomatic process, the outcome could provide an indication of how the Security Council intends to approach the mission’s future amid continuing disagreements over the Moroccan Sahara.

Until a resolution is adopted, the options outlined in the reported consultations remain under consideration rather than confirmed policy decisions.