Nigerian commentator warns of risk of UN mission winding down in Western Sahara
Nigerian journalist and human rights defender Owei Lakemfa stated that the UN Security Council will consider the future of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) at the end of October, whose mandate, according to him, expires on October 31. In a column for Premium Times Nigeria, he claims that a position is taking shape among Security Council members not to extend the mission's mandate.
MINURSO mandate
In the author's view, ending MINURSO's work would call into question the holding of a referendum on the future of Western Sahara. Lakemfa notes that the Security Council established the mission through Resolution 690 of April 29, 1991, to organize a vote in which the Sahrawi people were to determine their future.
He also refers to UN Security Council Resolution 2797 of October 31, 2025. According to the columnist's account, the document called on the parties to hold unconditional negotiations based on Morocco's autonomy proposal. This proposal envisages granting Western Sahara semi-autonomous status within the Kingdom of Morocco.
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Assessment of positions in the Security Council
Lakemfa claims that 11 of the 15 Security Council members support the Moroccan plan, while Latvia, China, Pakistan, and Russia, in his assessment, maintain a neutral position. Among the states he classifies as supporters of Morocco's position, the author names the United States, Colombia, Bahrain, Denmark, Greece, Panama, Liberia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In particular, the columnist mentions the proclamation by US President Donald Trump of December 10, 2020, by which the United States recognized the entire territory of Western Sahara as part of the Kingdom of Morocco. He also notes that the Colombian government announced recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara as of August 7, 2026.
In conclusion, Lakemfa called on Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa to cooperate with Algeria to protect the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
