Abdelaziz Rahabi: Russian Veto Challenges US Unilateralism in UN Security Council

Former diplomat Abdelaziz Rahabi views Russia's use of its veto power at the UN Security Council as a clear rejection of Washington's unilateral approach. He argues that Moscow is no longer willing to tolerate attempts to impose one-sided solutions regarding the Western Sahara issue. Rahabi asserts that the role of the 'penholder' necessitates the trust of all stakeholders, specifically the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania. He criticizes US and French efforts to legitimize the status of Western Sahara as part of Morocco, warning that this undermines the MINURSO mission's original mandate for a referendum. Describing a regional security realignment involving Washington, Tel Aviv, and Abu Dhabi, he views Algeria’s military cooperation with Niger as a defensive response to strategic threats. Ultimately, Rahabi calls for shifting the discussion to the UN General Assembly to bypass the current deadlock within the Security Council.