Without waiting for the April 2026 Security Council review, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has begun a significant internal restructuring. «The UN mission ended the duties of four senior officials on Tuesday», a well-informed source told Yabiladi. The same source added that «MINURSO also relinquished one of its helicopters, previously used for ceasefire monitoring and travel to observation points east of the Sand Wall». These decisions come at a critical moment for the mission, whose budget was reduced by 22%, as announced by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during an interview with 2M on November 1. In September, MINURSO had already decided to close two observation points east of the Sand Wall and another in an area under Moroccan control. In Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, the UN Security Council requested the Secretary-General to provide regular briefings and to conduct a strategic review of MINURSO's future mandate within six months of the extension, taking into account the outcome of ongoing negotiations.
