Behind the Scenes: Recent U.S. Moves on the Security Council Resolution Regarding the Moroccan Sahara

Intensive U.S. Consultations on Renewing the MINURSO Mandate

In light of ongoing preparations for the upcoming UN Security Council meetings at the end of October, media reports indicate that teams reporting to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a secret meeting on October 9th with specialized experts and researchers focused on the Sahara dossier. The meeting aimed to enrich discussions regarding the renewal of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Urgent Calls to International Experts and Think Tanks

According to the “Africa Intelligence” platform, about ten academics and geopolitical experts received official invitations from the U.S. Department of State on the evening of October 8th to participate in a virtual meeting. The list of invitees included representatives from prominent international organizations, such as the International Crisis Group (ICG), the U.S.-based “Washington Institute for Near East Policy”, and researchers from Colgate University in New York.

Questions from Lead Negotiators and Proposed Scenarios

The source noted that this move came in response to numerous questions received by U.S. State Department teams from lead negotiators, primarily the U.S. President’s Special Envoy for Africa, Massad Boulos, and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz. In the same context, it is confirmed that the U.S. administration, as the party responsible for drafting the Security Council resolution, has not yet finalized the first version of the text, while various scenarios remain on the table, ranging from extending the mission for another year to reviewing its mandates.

Awaiting the Secretary-General’s Strategic Review

Furthermore, reports revealed that U.S. negotiators are awaiting the strategic review of MINURSO currently being prepared by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as stipulated by previous UN resolutions. So far, the Secretary-General has only submitted his routine report on the situation in the territory to Security Council members, pending the outcome of diplomatic consultations scheduled before the decisive vote on October 31st.