UN mission mandate expires in Western Sahara
The UN mission for a referendum in Western Sahara will end as resolutions failed to gain enough votes for renewal.
The mandate for the United Nations Mission for the Organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) has expired on Saturday. Two successive resolutions failed to secure the necessary votes for its renewal.
The failure to renew Minurso's mandate follows negotiations between the United States and Morocco on one side, and Russia and the Polisario Front on the other. The mission's purpose was to organize a referendum in Western Sahara.
The mandate's expiration means the planned referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara will not proceed under the current UN framework.
Why it mattersThe UN mission tasked with organizing a referendum in Western Sahara will cease operations, impacting the political future of the region.