The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara has ended after 35 years due to a US-Russia impasse over the territory’s future. This decision raises concerns about regional stability in an area rich in minerals and fisheries, which is roughly the size of Colorado along Africa’s northwestern coast. Once under Spanish rule, Western Sahara is claimed by both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric announced that from 1 November 2026, a smaller team will manage the transfer of assets to troop-contributing countries and the disposal of UN equipment. The mission has been extended multiple times since its establishment in 1991. Last Friday, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution supporting Morocco’s sovereignty claims and the mission’s termination.
Morocco’s royal palace welcomed the decision, labelling the mission an effort to internationalise the dispute. Conversely, the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, denounced it as “unacceptable,” with the Algerian foreign ministry criticising the perceived bias of the US proposal.
The UN categorises Western Sahara as a “non-self-governing territory,” and critics deem it Africa’s last colony. Morocco administers most of the region, excluding a narrow ‘free zone’ east of a sand wall.
The conflict intensified after Morocco annexed the territory in 1975, leading to over 15 years of armed conflict that cost more than 16,000 lives. Morocco has sought full sovereignty, gaining backing from various Western capitals, while the Polisario seeks independence for the Sahrawi people.
A UN-brokered ceasefire took effect in 1991, establishing the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), aimed at facilitating a vote on self-determination, which has yet to occur due to disagreements over voter eligibility.
As the mission concludes, the UN calls on all parties to respect the rights of Western Sahara’s people and urges restraint amidst ongoing tensions following the Polisario’s withdrawal from the ceasefire in 2020. The area remains a contentious point in the rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, with the end of the mission potentially exacerbating diplomatic tensions and an arms race.
