The recent decision, approved on Monday, drew a cautious welcome from the United Nations Security Council as it extended the mandate of MINURSO, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The council asked for concrete steps to be taken by October 31, 2024, aimed at advancing the prospects for self determination for the people of Western Sahara while preserving MINURSO’s operational footprint on the ground.
In its resolution, the Security Council reiterates and reinforces its prior positions on Western Sahara. Late Monday night, a statement from the Polisario Front framed the moment as a test for diplomacy and diplomacy in action. The council underscored the need for the two sides, the Polisario Front and Morocco, to pursue a just and lasting political solution that respects self determination, while recognizing that MINURSO plays an essential role in monitoring ceasefire arrangements and supporting the process on the ground.
The Polisario Front’s statement raised concerns that the council had again failed to take decisive action that would enable MINURSO to fully discharge its mandate as established by Resolution 690 of 1991. It argued that long standing restrictions imposed by the occupying state in Morocco have not been decisively addressed, thereby undermining the mission’s credibility and its international standing as an impartial observer in the Western Sahara crisis.
The Front asserted that it could not ignore what it described as persistent quiet from the Security Council, pointing to information it claimed had reached some influential members about the serious consequences of violations of the 1991 ceasefire by the Moroccan authorities. The statement suggested that such violations threaten the stability of the ceasefire and the prospects for a political settlement that would honor the wishes of the Sahrawi people.
In a rare public acknowledgment, the Polisario Front claimed responsibility for an attack on the city of Smara that occurred last weekend in the eastern part of Western Sahara, describing the action as part of a broader military campaign aimed at challenging Moroccan positions in the region. The movement stated that the conflict reflects a state of active engagement and the ongoing struggle over sovereignty, even as it acknowledged that the external powers and regional dynamics shape the course of hostilities.
A representative of the Polisario Front, speaking to reporters outside the Security Council, asserted that the group considers the ongoing conflict to be a war by other means and emphasized that the parties involved have not recognized the reality of the situation. The representative reported casualties, including one civilian death and several injuries, according to Moroccan accounts, while stressing the civilian toll of the violence and the proximity of casualties to populated neighborhoods near Smara. The claim highlighted the pain endured by civilians caught in the crossfire of a protracted dispute over sovereignty and control of territory.
At the same moment, Morocco’s United Nations ambassador described the reporting on the Smara incident as reflecting a frighteningly accurate depiction of the surrounding circumstances. He noted that the shots landed in residential districts rather than near military installations and emphasized the need for a careful, evidence based examination of the incident to avoid inflaming tensions and endangering civilians further.