Russia and the United States voted against each other and the Security Council failed to extend the mandate of MINURSO Xinhua News Agency, United Nations, October 30 (Reporter Shang Shuqian) The United Nations Security Council voted on two draft resolutions on the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Referendum Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on the 30th. Neither draft was accepted. MINURSO's current authorization will expire on October 31. The Security Council will vote for the first time on the draft drafted by the United States. The US draft makes major adjustments to MINURSO's mandate. The draft received 11 votes in favour, but was vetoed by Russia, with China, Pakistan and Somalia abstaining. The Security Council then voted on a draft proposed by Russia that did not change the content of MINURSO's mandate and only extended the mission's period. The Russian draft received 3 votes in favor, 11 members of the Security Council abstained, and the United States voted against. At a press conference after the vote in the Security Council, Sidi Omar, the representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Western Sahara (Western Sahara Front), expressed satisfaction that the Security Council did not adopt the draft resolution drafted by the United States, expressed his appreciation for Russia's veto on the draft, and expressed his gratitude to Pakistan, China and Somalia who abstained from voting. Western Sahara was historically a Spanish colony. In 1975 Spain announced its withdrawal from Western Sahara and signed partition agreements with Morocco and Mauritania respectively. The Algerian-backed Front for Western Sahara later made territorial claims to Western Sahara. For this reason the three parties had many armed conflicts. In 1979, Mauritania announced that it would give up its territorial claims to Western Sahara, and armed conflicts between Morocco and Western Sahara continued. The two sides reached a cease-fire agreement in 1991, and the UN Security Council passed a resolution that year, deciding to establish MINURSO to monitor the cease-fire and, if possible, organize a referendum in Western Sahara.

Russia and the United States voted against each other and the Security Council failed to extend the mandate of MINURSO Xinhua News Agency, United Nations, October 30 (Reporter Shang Shuqian) The United Nations Security Council voted on two draft resolutions on the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Referendum Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on the 30th. Neither draft was accepted. MINURSO's current authorization will expire on October 31. The Security Council will vote for the first time on the draft drafted by the United States. The US draft makes major adjustments to MINURSO's mandate. The draft received 11 votes in favour, but was vetoed by Russia, with China, Pakistan and Somalia abstaining. The Security Council then voted on a draft proposed by Russia that did not change the content of MINURSO's mandate and only extended the mission's period. The Russian draft received 3 votes in favor, 11 members of the Security Council abstained, and the United States voted against. At a press conference after the vote in the Security Council, Sidi Omar, the representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Western Sahara (Western Sahara Front), expressed satisfaction that the Security Council did not adopt the draft resolution drafted by the United States, expressed his appreciation for Russia's veto on the draft, and expressed his gratitude to Pakistan, China and Somalia who abstained from voting. Western Sahara was historically a Spanish colony. In 1975 Spain announced its withdrawal from Western Sahara and signed partition agreements with Morocco and Mauritania respectively. The Algerian-backed Front for Western Sahara later made territorial claims to Western Sahara. For this reason the three parties had many armed conflicts. In 1979, Mauritania announced that it would give up its territorial claims to Western Sahara, and armed conflicts between Morocco and Western Sahara continued. The two sides reached a cease-fire agreement in 1991, and the UN Security Council passed a resolution that year, deciding to establish MINURSO to monitor the cease-fire and, if possible, organize a referendum in Western Sahara.