The Polisario Front and Algeria have voiced strong objections to the new U.S.-drafted resolution on the Sahara, which focuses exclusively on Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole framework for negotiations, a move they see as a major shift in the Security Council’s approach to the dispute.
The draft resolution, circulated by the United States on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, in its capacity as penholder on the Sahara file, was discussed during two closed-door sessions of the UN Security Council on Wednesday and Thursday. According to diplomatic sources, Washington’s text marks a clear emphasis on the autonomy proposal as “the most credible, serious, and realistic basis” for achieving a just and lasting political solution.
The first version of the text, referred to as “zero draft,” calls on all parties to engage in direct negotiations without preconditions, explicitly on the basis of Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative of 2007. It asserts that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty offers the most viable path toward resolving the long-standing conflict.
In a significant development on Friday, the Polisario Front, through its representative to the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), formally rejected the U.S. proposal, sending an urgent letter to Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, who currently presides over the Security Council. The letter denounced the American text as “a dangerous and unprecedented deviation” and warned that if adopted without amendments, the Polisario would “no longer participate in any political process or negotiations based on the resolution’s content.”
According to sources cited by Assahifa, the Russian presidency of the Council called an unscheduled, exceptional closed meeting on Friday to discuss the Sahara issue following the mounting controversy triggered by the U.S. initiative.
The American draft also proposes extending MINURSO’s mandate until January 31, 2026 — a shorter renewal than usual — while urging the parties to reach a mutually acceptable and final political solution before the mission’s new term expires.
It further reaffirms support for the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in facilitating negotiations “on the basis of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan.” The text encourages De Mistura to convene new meetings with Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania to sustain momentum in the peace process.
Diplomatic observers note that the exclusion of options such as “full independence for Western Sahara” or the “referendum” long advocated by the Polisario is the main reason behind the strong reactions from both the group and Algeria, which perceive the American stance as a clear endorsement of Morocco’s position.
