UN says MINURSO withdrawal could take two months, leaving ceasefire unmonitored

The United Nations could take up to two months to withdraw its MINURSO peacekeeping mission from the Sahara, leaving no UN mechanism in place to monitor the ceasefire, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on Nov. 4, Lacroix said MINURSO had halted all operational activities at midnight on Oct. 31, following the expiration of its mandate. The mission is now focused on withdrawing its personnel, equipment and field presence.

Asked who would monitor compliance with the ceasefire after the mission’s departure, Lacroix said no alternative verification mechanism was in place, confirming that the UN had no replacement system ready to assume MINURSO’s monitoring responsibilities.

The withdrawal will cover all MINURSO positions, including those east of the sand berm, as well as the removal of UN personnel and equipment, Lacroix said.

The fate of equipment left behind has not yet been determined. The UN Department of Operational Support is overseeing the process, he added.

Lacroix estimated that the withdrawal could take around two months, while cautioning that the timeline was not definitive. The actual duration will depend on logistical and operational conditions and the progress of the mission’s liquidation.

The withdrawal follows the Security Council’s failure to agree on a new mandate for MINURSO before its previous authorization expired on Oct. 31.

On Oct. 30, the council considered two competing draft resolutions, neither of which secured the support required to renew the mission.

The United States proposed extending MINURSO’s mandate for another year, until Oct. 31, 2027, while renaming it the UN Mission in the Sahara, or MINUSO, effective Nov. 1. The draft received 11 votes in favor but was vetoed by Russia. China, Pakistan and Somalia abstained.

Russia subsequently put forward an alternative resolution calling for a one-year renewal of MINURSO’s existing mandate. It received three votes in favor, while 11 members abstained and the United States voted against it.

The US-backed draft placed greater emphasis on Morocco’s autonomy proposal, describing autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the most feasible outcome, while retaining references to the principle of self-determination.

Russia opposed the proposal, arguing that it risked prejudging the outcome of negotiations and departing from the established UN framework.

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