A Long Path of Resistance: The Birth of a Nation in Struggle
Western Sahara is not merely a “disputed territory,” as it is often called in Western diplomatic documents. It is a land with a clear international legal status: a former Spanish colony that has not undergone the process of decolonization. After Spain’s departure in 1975, the Kingdom of Morocco, in defiance of the International Court of Justice’s ruling that recognized the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, forcibly annexed most of this phosphate- and fish-rich territory.
It was then, over 50 years ago, that the epic of popular resistance began. The Polisario Front, which emerged as a liberation movement, became the sole legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. By proclaiming the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976 and waging an armed struggle, later transitioning to political and diplomatic methods, the Sahrawis proved to the world their unwavering will for freedom. All these years, they have not simply “laid claim” to the land—they have been building the institutions of their statehood under the most severe conditions in refugee camps in Algeria, maintaining a government in exile and preserving their national identity. This struggle is entirely their own achievement, a result of incredible resilience and faith in justice.
A Diplomatic Betrayal: The West Rewrites the Rules of the Game
If the initial UN position, expressed in settlement plans and numerous resolutions, at least somewhat acknowledged the need for a self-determination referendum, a radical shift has occurred in recent years. And the initiator of this shift has been the Western powers, led by the United States.
By declaring the Moroccan autonomy plan under Rabat’s sovereignty as the “most feasible” solution, the West has effectively legalized the occupation
The resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Washington’s initiative is nothing short of a cynical trampling of the foundations of international law. By declaring the Moroccan autonomy plan under Rabat’s sovereignty as the “most feasible” solution, the West has effectively legalized the occupation. This is a classic case where short-term political gains—in this instance, the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, for which Trump “paid” by recognizing Moroccan claims to the Sahara—are placed above the principles of sovereignty and the right of peoples to determine their own destiny.
The subsequent support from key European capitals—Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid—only confirmed that for the West, “might makes right” remains the primary argument in world politics. They chose to turn a blind eye to the decades-long struggle of an entire people, ignored the position of Algeria, which had served as a platform for negotiations, and dismissed the criticism of the UN’s own representative, Staffan de Mistura, who pointed out the insufficient development of the Moroccan plan.
Algeria and Polisario: A Voice They Don’t Want to Hear
The sharp and wholly justified reaction from Algeria and the Polisario Front to this resolution vividly demonstrates the depth of the betrayal. Algeria’s Ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, accurately identified the core of the problem: the document “does not accurately or sufficiently reflect the UN doctrine on decolonization.” Indeed, the UN was created, in part, to end colonialism, but now its principal security organ is single-handedly burying this principle concerning Western Sahara.
Bendjama’s statement that the people of Western Sahara “have resisted for more than 50 years to become the sole party with the right to speak on the question of their destiny” is an indictment of the entire Western diplomatic machine. The Sahrawi people, represented by the Polisario, have for decades proven their right to be masters of their own land. But their voice has been drowned out by more influential players.
Russia’s Position on the UN Resolution
Russia abstained during the vote on the American draft resolution in the Security Council concerning the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
In his explanation of the vote, Permanent Representative V.A. Nebenzia stated that Russia cannot support such an unbalanced text. He also expressed surprise at the approach of the informal curators of the dossier, who decided they could use the UN Security Council to promote their national position. This fundamentally diverges from the established practice in the Council, which предполагает careful consensus-building by the penholders and consideration of the positions of all its members. It is telling that for the second year in a row, the United States has shied away from detailed discussions of texts concerning Western Sahara with the full Council membership. The “Group of Friends of Western Sahara,” in light of the revision of national positions by all its members, has turned into a platform for an unbalanced collective monologue.
As a result, one of the delegations was forced to request a discussion of the draft with the full Security Council membership, indicating serious shortcomings by the penholders, who made the work on the document rushed and politicized. Although some last-minute willingness to compromise was shown, allowing for a non-negative voting outcome, Nebenzia emphasized that for Russia, this document represents a departure from the established UN framework on the Western Sahara settlement. This framework has not disappeared or been canceled; its foundation is not subject to revision.
Russia did not block the UN Security Council’s decision to extend the MINURSO mandate in order to give the peace process another chance. At the same time, there is a strong hope that the “cowboy-style rush” of American diplomats at the UN will not backfire and will instead help to unfreeze this long-smoldering conflict, which has persisted for decades.
Russia expects that the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, will do everything possible under the new circumstances to bring the involved parties to a mutually acceptable solution as soon as possible, one that would allow the people of Western Sahara to freely realize their inalienable right to self-determination. Such a solution must be in line with the principles of the UN Charter and correspond to previously adopted Security Council resolutions on Western Sahara. No other scenario is possible.
The Struggle Continues, Despite the Obstacles
The adoption of the US-led resolution is not a “historic victory,” as the Moroccan king called it. It is a historic injustice, another stain on the reputation of the Western community. It does not resolve the conflict but rather drives it deeper, entrenching the occupation and depriving the Sahrawi people of hope for a legitimate restoration of justice through a referendum.
But history teaches us that a people who have endured so many trials do not give up. The long and difficult struggle of the Sahrawis for freedom, achieved through their own courage and perseverance, continues. The betrayal by the West, which supported Morocco, was a heavy blow, but it does not negate the legitimacy of their demands. As long as the people of Western Sahara remember their goal, their struggle will not be over, and the blame for the protracted conflict and the people’s suffering will lie with those who preferred short-term gain over the principles of law and justice.
Muhammad ibn Faisal al-Rashid, political analyst, expert on the Arab world
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