Sahrawi Demonstrators Demand Self-Determination Amid UN Draft Dispute

Sahrawi demonstrators took to the streets in the refugee camps of Laayoune Province on 26 October. They called for a fair international settlement that protects their right to self-determination and independence. According to the Sahara Press Service (SPS), people carried Sahrawi flags and chanted slogans against proposals they believe would deny them the right to choose their future. The protests came amid a dispute over a US draft resolution on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The UN created MINURSO in 1991 to support a peace plan that included a referendum on the territory’s future. However, that vote has never taken place.

The protests reflect Sahrawi opposition to the US proposal. The Polisario Front says any settlement must protect the Sahrawi people’s right to choose independence. It has also warned that it could leave the peace process if the Security Council adopts the draft without major changes. SPS reported the Front’s objection on 22 October. The dispute comes as the UN Security Council prepares to review MINURSO’s mandate, which expires on 31 October 2026. Morocco supports autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, while the Polisario Front seeks independence. The two sides remain at odds over the territory’s future and the terms of a lasting settlement.

Demonstrators told SPS that their action sent a clear message to the international community: any settlement must respect the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. SPS reported that people from different parts of Sahrawi society joined the protests, but it did not provide a verified attendance figure. The dispute also links to the UN’s work on decolonisation. On 15 October, the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee considered Western Sahara and reaffirmed the importance of self-determination. As the Security Council reviews MINURSO’s future, the demonstrations highlight the demand from Sahrawi protesters for a settlement that allows them to choose their own future.