As the UN Security Council prepares to discuss the Western Sahara issue, an influential American think tank with close ties to the Republican Party is urging Donald Trump to cut funding for MINURSO. It argues that the UN mission, in place for over 30 years, has failed and only serves to prolong the status quo. Do Trump's budget cuts threaten MINURSO's operations? This is the pressing question as an influential American think tank, closely aligned with the Republican Party, urges President Donald Trump to cut U.S. funding for what it deems ineffective UN peacekeeping missions. «Trump and the U.N. could save billions by eliminating failed peacekeeping operations», argues the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). A Mission Stalled for Over Three Decades The AEI highlights Western Sahara as a prime example, pointing to MINURSO, the UN mission established in 1991 to facilitate a self-determination referendum. More than 30 years and billions of dollars later, the mission has yet to fulfill its mandate. «Thirty-four years and billions of dollars later, MINURSO has not even conducted a census. It makes excuses, some valid and others not, but time marches on», the think tank states in its report. In fact, as early as January 2000, the UN disbanded the commission responsible for identifying voters for the referendum. After six years of work, only 2,130 out of 51,220 applicants had been registered, illustrating the deep-seated challenges in the process. The AEI's argument is not new. In 2018, John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, had already called for greater accountability from MINURSO. However, the AEI now presents an additional reason for defunding the mission: it contradicts the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a decision made by Trump in December 2020. From this perspective, the AEI argues that continuing to fund MINURSO undermines the American position and conflicts with the principles of the Abraham Accords. A Harsh Critique of the Polisario and the UN Taking a distinctly pro-Moroccan stance, the think tank claims that «the Sahrawi themselves also wish to join Morocco», but that the Polisario Front, with Algeria's backing, is blocking them. The AEI further alleges that refugees in the Tindouf camps in Algeria are prevented from reuniting with their families in Morocco. The report goes even further, accusing the UN of «perpetuating the problem» by funding these camps and legitimizing the Polisario. This sharp critique has reignited debates over MINURSO's future. In the coming weeks, the issue will be brought before the UN Security Council, where the Trump administration will have to clarify its stance. Meanwhile, media outlets sympathetic to the Polisario are speculating about a potential shift in Washington's position.
