UN Western Sahara peacekeeping mission left in limbo after US-Russia veto standoff

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Western Sahara remains without a mandate after Russia and the United States both vetoed each other's resolution on the matter at the UN Security Council. The dispute centred on Morocco's autonomy plan for the disputed territory, with Washington seeking to strengthen the plan's position as the basis for negotiations. The double veto blocked the council's annual renewal of the mission, which it has routinely extended in previous years. The US-drafted resolution would have established Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole basis for negotiations and reduced the military component of the UN peacekeeping mission. It would also have extended the mission's mandate for another year. The confrontation marked an unusual showdown between major powers over what has traditionally been a routine Security Council decision. Read more: UN Western Sahara peacekeeping mission left in limbo after US-Russia veto standoff United Nations Minurso personnel disembark from a helicopter at the Guerguerat border crossing between Morocco and Mauritania in Western Sahara, 25 November 2020 (Fadel Senna/AFP)