U.S. Advisor Discusses Western Sahara with UN Envoy

Washington, D.C. — Masoud Bolus, the U.S. President's Advisor on Middle East and Africa, met with Alexander Evanko, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara and head of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), to discuss the future of the mission. The meeting, which took place on October 2023, comes as the current mandate of MINURSO is set to expire on October 31, 2023.

The discussion focused on the shared desire to achieve a successful and sustainable settlement for the Western Sahara issue, according to Bolus. The U.S. is considering redefining the mission's role and possibly renaming it to align with the new political direction. This comes as the U.S. has intensified its diplomatic efforts, engaging with relevant parties and pushing for direct negotiations to achieve a final political solution.

Bolus's meeting with Evanko follows recent briefings by the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to the UN Security Council. Bolus has been actively involved in multiple fronts related to the Western Sahara file, coordinating with de Mistura's efforts and the discussions on MINURSO's future. The U.S. continues to advocate for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for political settlement negotiations.

The meeting carries several political messages, given its timing and the context surrounding MINURSO's future. The UN Security Council is expected to make a new decision regarding the mission's mandate, while the U.S. is pushing to redefine the role that MINURSO can play in the next phase.