By explicitly endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most feasible solution,the UN Security Council resolution 2797 places mounting pressure on the African Union (AU) to harmonize its position with the UN-led process.
Resolution 2797 extends the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until October 2026 and declares Morocco’s autonomy proposal “a most feasible outcome” to the decades-old conflict.
This marks the first time the UN has formally identified autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for talks.
Rabat has for long called the African Union’s admission of the Polisario’s SADR entity as an anomaly that needs to be corrected.
The AU now faces pressure to adapt to the UN’s clear stance favoring autonomy.
The continental organization already took steps in that direction. The Polisario has been removed from AU summit agendas.
These steps highlight the AU’s gradual pivot toward pragmatism. Analysts argue that full alignment with the UN framework would resolve contradictions and strengthen Africa’s voice in global diplomacy.
The AU troika has also reaffirmed that the Sahara dispute must be settled under UN auspices,discouraging unilateral African solutions. Meanwhile,several African states have withdrawn recognition of the SADR,and many opened consulates in the Sahara,expanding Morocco’s diplomatic footprint.
United News - unews.co.za