MOROCCO · WESTERN SAHARA
Key Facts
- —The country Morocco is a North African kingdom of about 37 million people, ruled by King Mohammed VI, and it administers most of Western Sahara.
- —What happened Yabiladi published the text of a US draft dated 20 October on 22 October 2026, and Médias24 followed on 23 October.
- —Peacekeeping ends The draft ends the peacekeeping mandate on 30 April 2027 and turns the mission into a special political mission until 31 October 2027.
- —Staff cut The draft cuts authorised personnel by at least 50% by 31 January 2027, which Médias24 specifies as uniformed personnel, with sites closed or merged.
- —New name The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO, would become the UN Mission for Western Sahara, MINUSO, without the word referendum.
- —Talks basis The draft calls autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty the only feasible solution and makes the Moroccan plan the sole basis for negotiations.
- —Deadline The current mandate expires on Saturday 31 October 2026, and Médias24 says the final text will be voted that day.
The text of a US Sahara draft would end UN peacekeeping in Western Sahara on 30 April 2027. It would also make Morocco’s autonomy plan the sole basis for talks, Yabiladi and Médias24 reported on 22 and 23 October 2026.
The first report came from an Algerian site without the text, but the Sahara draft now brings dates, numbers and a Polisario reaction. The Security Council must decide before the mission’s mandate runs out on Saturday 31 October.
What the US Draft Proposes
The Sahara draft is dated 20 October 2026 and builds on the Secretary-General’s report of 1 October 2026, Médias24 reported. The United States is the penholder, the Council member that writes the first draft, and the text went to the other members for comment.
Yabiladi said it obtained a copy, and Médias24 published an unofficial French translation of the full text. Council members can send comments and amendments until 31 October, and Médias24 says the final version will be voted that day.
The Mission Is Renamed and Cut
MINURSO, the UN mission created in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and prepare a referendum, would become the UN Mission for Western Sahara, or MINUSO. The word referendum would disappear from its name, both outlets report.
Under the Sahara draft, peacekeeping would end on 30 April 2027, and a special political mission would run from 1 May until 31 October 2027. Authorised personnel would fall by at least 50% by 31 January 2027, and the Secretary-General must send detailed proposals by 15 December 2026.
Autonomy Becomes the Only Framework
Resolution 2797 of 31 October 2025 passed by 11 votes to none, with China, Pakistan and Russia abstaining, the UN press office records. It said genuine autonomy could represent a most feasible outcome.
The new Sahara draft goes further and says genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution, according to Yabiladi’s copy. Médias24 quotes the French text as the only realistic solution and says the Moroccan plan becomes the sole basis for negotiations.
Self-Determination Moves to the Preamble
Médias24 says self-determination now appears only in the preamble and no longer in the operative text. It adds that the phrase the people of Western Sahara disappears in favour of Sahrawi components.
The envoy, Staffan de Mistura, would consult a wide range of Sahrawi voices, including people outside the negotiating parties. The Polisario Front is one of four parties in the talks, alongside Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania.
Smara, Tindouf and a Warning to One Party
The Sahara draft condemns the attack on the town of Smara on 5 May 2026, Médias24 reports. It also regrets that one party has not engaged substantively in the talks, which the outlet reads as pointing to the Polisario Front.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, would have six months to complete the registration of refugees around Tindouf, Algeria, without interference from any entity. The Council says it is ready to consider other measures if the parties do not engage constructively.
The Polisario Threatens to Walk Out
The Polisario Front, the Sahrawi movement seeking an independent state, runs the refugee camps near Tindouf and wrote to the Council president, Yabiladi reported. It threatened to leave the UN-sponsored peace process if the Sahara draft passes without substantial changes.
The Front called the text another dangerous and unprecedented departure from international law and the Council’s established approach. It objected to relying solely on Resolution 2797, saying all relevant UN resolutions should be considered.
Why Washington Holds the Pen
The United States recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in December 2020 under President Donald Trump, Security Council Report notes. The Sahara draft praises Trump’s leading role and notes three rounds of direct talks in Washington and Madrid among the four parties.
A 2025 US draft leaked in mid-October last year, and Médias24 says the 2026 text restores three elements removed from it during negotiations. Rio Times reported on 22 October that an Algerian site expected a one-year extension, but the Sahara draft ends peacekeeping after six months.
What It Means for US Readers
The United States writes the Council text, so ending UN peacekeeping in Western Sahara after more than 35 years would be an American choice. It would touch US ties with Rabat, which Washington recognised as sovereign over the territory in 2020, and with Algiers, which backs the Polisario Front.
Companies with projects in Morocco and the territory it administers will watch the vote for any change in the territory’s status. The result will also show whether Russia, China and Pakistan, which abstained last year, accept a text that drops the referendum from the mission’s name.
What Is Not Known
The Sahara draft is a first text, and the final wording will come out of talks among the 15 Council members. Médias24 says the vote is set for 31 October, the mandate’s expiry day, and the US government has not published the draft.
Yabiladi’s report does not give the date of the Polisario letter or say whether the Front has set a deadline. It is also not known whether Russia, China or Pakistan will oppose the changes or abstain again.
More: Morocco news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the US Sahara draft say?
It would end the UN peacekeeping mandate on 30 April 2027 and rename the mission MINUSO. It also calls autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty the only feasible solution.
When does the current UN mandate for Western Sahara expire?
The mandate of MINURSO runs out on Saturday 31 October 2026. The Security Council has to renew, change or end it before that date.
How many UN staff would be cut under the draft?
Authorised personnel would fall by at least 50% by 31 January 2027, which Médias24 specifies as uniformed personnel. Sites would be closed or merged under the plan.
What is the Polisario Front?
It is the Sahrawi movement that seeks an independent state in Western Sahara and runs the refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria. Morocco rejects its claim and offers autonomy under its own sovereignty.
Did the Polisario Front react to the draft?
Yes, it wrote to the Security Council president, according to Yabiladi. It threatened to leave the UN peace process if the draft passes without substantial changes.
Is the draft final?
No, it is a first draft dated 20 October 2026 that the 15 Security Council members will negotiate. Changes are possible, as Médias24 says happened with the 2025 text.
Sources: Médias24, 23 October 2026; Yabiladi, 22 October 2026; Yabiladi (Polisario letter), 23 October 2026; UN Press, Security Council 10030th meeting, 31 October 2025; Security Council Report, Western Sahara forecast, October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief