MINURSO winds up in Western Sahara after the Security Council fails to renew its mandate

1 November 2026

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, has stopped work after its mandate ran out at midnight on Saturday. The Security Council could not agree on its future: a United States draft was vetoed by Russia, and a rival Russian text did not get the nine votes it needed. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the mission's departure does not take away the territory's people from their right to self-determination. He said the United Nations will keep pressing for a political settlement through his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura. At the close the mission had its headquarters at Laayoune, nine team sites and a liaison office at Tindouf, with about 200 staff and observers from more than 35 countries. A liquidation period has now begun, with a smaller team under the Department of Operational Support disposing of equipment. Guterres paid tribute to the 20 mission personnel who died over its 35 years in the territory.