The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, known as Minurso, has ended after 35 years of operation, following a diplomatic deadlock at the UN Security Council. The mission’s mandate expired on October 31 after Russia vetoed a US-backed resolution supporting Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory.
The UN Secretary-General has voiced concern about the security situation in Western Sahara and called for restraint from all parties. The UN has begun a liquidation period to oversee the transfer of Minurso’s assets and ensure the orderly withdrawal of personnel and equipment from the region.
Morocco has welcomed the end of the Minurso mission. The Moroccan government has long argued that the mission, established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and organize a referendum on self-determination, had outlived its purpose and failed to resolve the status of Western Sahara.
The United States had put forward a draft resolution at the Security Council that would have extended Minurso’s mandate and expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. However, Russia vetoed the resolution, citing concerns about impartiality and the need for a negotiated solution that respects the rights of the Sahrawi people.
The expiration of Minurso’s mandate leaves a significant gap in international oversight in Western Sahara, a territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the region. The UN has warned that the absence of a peacekeeping presence could increase tensions and instability on the ground.
Western Sahara has been the subject of a decades-long dispute since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Morocco controls most of the region and considers it part of its sovereign territory, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, demands an independent state for the Sahrawi people.
The UN established Minurso in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front and to organize a referendum on self-determination, which has never taken place due to disagreements over voter eligibility and the terms of the vote.
With the end of Minurso, the UN is now focused on the safe and orderly withdrawal of its personnel and assets from Western Sahara. The organization’s officials have called for continued dialogue and restraint to prevent a resurgence of violence in the region.
Why it matters
The termination of Minurso marks a turning point in the long-running conflict over Western Sahara, removing the only international peacekeeping presence in the territory. According to the UN Secretary-General, this development raises concerns about the potential for renewed instability and violence, given the unresolved status of the region and the competing claims of Morocco and the Polisario Front.
The diplomatic standoff at the UN Security Council, with Russia vetoing a US-backed resolution, highlights the broader geopolitical divisions that have hindered progress toward a negotiated settlement. The absence of consensus among major powers complicates efforts to find a lasting solution for Western Sahara and leaves the Sahrawi population in a state of uncertainty.
The UN’s move to initiate a liquidation period for Minurso assets signals the end of a decades-long effort to mediate the conflict through international oversight. As Morocco celebrates the mission’s departure, attention now turns to how the parties and the international community will address the security and political vacuum left by Minurso’s withdrawal.
The image accompanying this article is an AI-generated illustrative depiction inspired by the actual scene of the event.
