Algerian FM Ahmed Attaf Reveals Why Algeria Refused to Vote on UN Western Sahara Resolution

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf revealed that Algeria decided not to vote on the latest UN Security Council resolution concerning the Western Sahara conflict after a last-minute change to the text angered Algiers.

According to Minister Attaf, Algeria was initially prepared to approve the Security Council’s resolution addressing the long-standing dispute over Western Sahara. However, just before the vote, a sentence was added in paragraph three of the draft, referring to Morocco’s autonomy plan as “a realistic solution under Moroccan sovereignty.”

“This phrase was unacceptable to us,” Attaf explained, noting that Algeria had requested the deletion of the sentence before the final version was adopted. “Since that was not done, it technically prompted us not to participate in the vote,” he added.

The minister emphasized that Algeria continues to believe in a fair and lasting settlement of the Western Sahara issue, based on the principle of self-determination in accordance with international law. He stressed that negotiations between the parties—the Maghreb region and the Sahrawi people—remain the only viable path toward a mutually acceptable agreement.

Attaf concluded by saying that Algeria will conduct a new assessment of the final version of the resolution, reaffirming that the country’s position “maintains all essential foundations for a fair resolution to the Western Sahara conflict.”