UN ends Western Sahara peacekeeping mission after 35-year stalemate

The United Nations has concluded its 35-year peacekeeping operation in the Western Sahara following a failure by the Security Council to extend the mission's authority.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Sunday that November 1 marks the beginning of the liquidation phase for the mission, known as MINURSO. Assets and personnel will now be returned to their respective contributing nations. The mission has been deployed in the territory since 1991, when the UN brokered a ceasefire.

The withdrawal follows a procedural deadlock in the Security Council. Last year, members adopted a US-drafted resolution that accepted Morocco's plan for autonomy under Rabat's sovereignty as the most feasible solution to the conflict. This year, Russia vetoed a new US-backed resolution intended to formalize that preference while reducing the peacekeeping force. The council subsequently defeated a competing Russian proposal, allowing the original mandate to expire without a successor.

Morocco, which claims the territory, responded positively to the decision. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told state media that the continued reference to a referendum in the mission's name was an anachronism. He described the situation as an opportunity to review the rules governing the conflict. The Moroccan royal palace characterized the non-renewal as a major step toward removing the issue from the Security Council's agenda.

Opponents of the Moroccan position expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. The Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which has sought an independent state since Spain withdrew in 1976, issued a statement expressing concern over the deadlock in the Security Council. The Algerian Foreign Ministry voiced deep regret on Saturday, attributing the failure to renew the mandate to excessive US bias toward Morocco.

MINURSO was originally tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and organizing a referendum on the territory's status. That vote has never taken place due to persistent disagreements over voter eligibility. With the mission ending, the UN's direct presence in the region concludes after three and a half decades of continuous operation.