Post-MINURSO Era: King Mohammed VI Directs Orderly UN Mission Wind-Down and Reaffirms Sovereign Ceasefire Commitment

RABAT (FesNews Media) — His Majesty King Mohammed VI chaired a landmark strategic working session at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, dedicated to managing the post-MINURSO phase in the Moroccan Sahara, following the United Nations Security Council’s October 30, 2026 session in which the UN mission’s mandate was not renewed.

The Royal working session marks a decisive transition from diplomatic deliberation at the United Nations to direct sovereign, administrative, and operational implementation on the ground. Attending the session alongside the Sovereign were Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Royal Advisor Fouad Ali El Himma, Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit, and General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Commander of the Southern Zone.

Interior Ministry Tasked with Orderly Liquidation and Withdrawal of MINURSO

In a central operational directive, His Majesty the King issued High Instructions for the “MINURSO Coordination Office” under the Ministry of the Interior to oversee and facilitate the liquidation and orderly withdrawal of the United Nations mission. The Royal Palace communiqué emphasized that Morocco will accompany this wind-down process in a spirit of institutional responsibility and cooperation with the United Nations, ensuring all logistical and administrative procedures proceed smoothly.

The Royal Cabinet statement underscored that the historical context in which MINURSO was originally established—as well as the initial functions assigned to it—have been definitively superseded by realities on the ground and the evolving positions of major international powers. The communiqué also noted that the UN mission had, on numerous occasions, failed to effectively monitor compliance with the ceasefire or draw consequences from its violations.

Sovereign Ceasefire Commitment and Acceleration of Southern Provinces Development

Despite the termination of the UN mission’s mandate, His Majesty King Mohammed VI reaffirmed Morocco’s full and voluntary sovereign commitment to the ceasefire, stressing that this commitment stems from the Kingdom’s diplomatic doctrine dedicated to preserving peace and regional stability while uncompromisingly safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During the session, the Sovereign instructed the attending civil and military leaders—each within their respective sphere of competence—to firmly and vigilantly implement the priorities outlined in the October 30 Royal Palace communiqué. Foremost among these priorities are the total respect for the Kingdom’s territorial integrity, national security, the tranquility of citizens in the Southern Provinces, and the uninterrupted execution of the New Development Model for the Southern Provinces and its flagship infrastructure projects.

Full Text Translation of the Royal Cabinet Communiqué (November 4, 2026)

Below is the complete English translation of the communiqué issued by the Royal Cabinet in Rabat:

“His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, chaired on November 4, 2026, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a working session dedicated to following up on the phase subsequent to the end of the mandate of the United Nations mission, following the non-renewal of its mandate by the United Nations Security Council during its meeting held on October 30, 2026. This session falls within the framework of the special care that His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, constantly accords to the cause of our territorial integrity and national sovereignty, reflecting His wise approach, farsighted vision, and constant solicitude for the interests of His loyal subjects in the Moroccan Sahara.

During this session—attended by Head of Government Ms. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Advisor to His Majesty the King Mr. Fouad Ali El Himma, Minister of the Interior Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit, and General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Zone—His Majesty the King reaffirmed the priorities set out in the Royal Cabinet communiqué dated October 30, namely: full respect for the integrity and unity of the Kingdom’s territory, its national security, and the tranquility of its citizens, particularly the population of the Southern Provinces. In this regard, His Majesty the King gave His High Instructions for the firm and vigilant activation of these priorities, each within their field of competence, reinforcing national consensus and ensuring the continuation of the development project for the Southern Provinces and its structuring projects, while closely monitoring all developments across all levels in accordance with the Kingdom’s established official position; while recalling the Kingdom’s full commitment to the ceasefire, which is a voluntary commitment that will not change with the end of the UN mission’s mandate—a mission that failed on numerous occasions to monitor respect for the ceasefire or to draw consequences from its breaches, and whose founding context and original functions have been superseded by realities and the positions of international actors.

Embodying the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitment to accompanying the post-mission phase in a spirit of responsibility and cooperation with the United Nations, His Majesty the King gave His High Instructions for the ‘MINURSO Coordination Office’ under the Ministry of the Interior to assume the tasks of coordinating and accompanying the liquidation and withdrawal process of the said mission, facilitating all related procedures and ensuring its smooth and orderly conduct. His Majesty also stressed the Kingdom’s respect for its international commitments and fidelity to its diplomatic doctrine based on preserving peace, while safeguarding the Kingdom’s sovereignty, taking into account all positive transformations and the diplomatic momentum crowned by the recognition by friendly and brotherly nations of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara and the consecration of the Autonomy Initiative as the sole political solution to definitively close this artificial regional dispute.”