Russia vetoes UN resolution, ending more-than-30-year Western Sahara peacekeeping mission

Russia's veto at the UN Security Council has terminated MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, after more than 30 years of operation.

The United States had drafted a resolution that would have extended the mission by one year while designating Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole basis for negotiations, reducing the mission's military component, and stripping the word "referendum" from its mandate. Russia rejected that text as a "unilateral approach" and submitted a counter-draft to continue the mission under its existing conditions — which the United States then blocked.

MINURSO was established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and prepare for a referendum that was never held. As of June, the mission comprised 359 civilian and military personnel. Germany has contributed up to three unarmed military observers at a time since 2013.

Morocco's royal palace called for all mission personnel and equipment to leave quickly, while stating that Rabat would continue to honour the ceasefire. Morocco controls most of Western Sahara; the Algeria-backed Polisario Front demands independence for the territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Oxfam warned that ending the monitoring and de-escalation mission would endanger security and stability in the region and could have severe consequences for civilians and for the prospects of a peaceful resolution.

Eleven of the fifteen Security Council members had backed the Moroccan autonomy plan, which the Council designated as the "most practicable" solution.