US lawmaker urges Polisario terror listing after Russia blocks UN vote

Following Moscow’s veto of a US-led resolution regarding the Sahara at the United Nations Security Council, Republican Representative Joe Wilson urged Saturday that the Polisario Front be officially listed as a foreign terrorist organization while advocating for punitive measures against Algeria due to its procurement of Russian armaments.

Citing an October 31 post published on X, the American lawmaker asserted that Russia exercised its veto power to sustain instability across the African continent. Wilson further singled out Moscow, Algiers, Tehran, and the Algerian-supported Polisario movement as the primary gainers from the diplomatic impasse.

The vetoed US draft sought to extend and reorganize the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), establishing Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the exclusive framework for diplomatic talks. Although 11 member nations of the Security Council voted in favor of the measure, Russia cast a blocking vote.

This latest stance by Wilson builds upon previous legislative initiatives aimed at penalizing the separatist group. Alongside Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta, he co-sponsored a bill in June 2025 designed to prompt federal action against the movement.

The Republican congressman renewed his push for action in September 2026, coming on the heels of bilateral discussions with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.

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