Former Spanish colony Western Sahara remains Africa’s last non-self-governing territory.The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara.

The Security Council adopted on Thursday a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for an additional year, until 31 October 2025.

With this text, the Council stresses once again that it is necessary to reach a “realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable” political solution to the question of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara, a vast territory of 266,000 km², located in the North-West of Africa, is bordered by the Moroccan province of Tarfaya to the north, Algeria to the north-east, Mauritania to the east and south, while its west coast overlooks the Atlantic.

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is a United Nations peacekeeping operation headquartered in Laayoune.

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