UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara ends after 35 years

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara officially ceased operations on Sunday, November 1, 2026, ending a thirty-five-year presence in the disputed territory. This abrupt termination occurred because the UN Security Council failed to renew the mandate of the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, commonly known as MINURSO. The failure resulted from a diplomatic deadlock between the United States and Russia, who each exercised vetoes against competing resolutions regarding the future of the mission. For the first time since 1991, the territory, which has been contested by Morocco and the Polisario Front for over five decades, operates without a UN peacekeeping force monitoring the ceasefire. Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, confirmed via statement that November 1, 2026, marked the beginning of the liquidation period for the mission. He explained that a reduced team, reporting to the UN Department of Operational Support, would manage the orderly transport of assets back to troop-contributing countries and handle the disposal of UN-owned equipment. The mission, originally established to organize a referendum on self-determination, had been extended annually since its inception. However, this cycle broke due to irreconcilable differences in New York. On Friday prior to the deadline, Russia vetoed a draft US resolution. That American text sought to support Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the territory and planned to end the peacekeeping mission within the following year. Subsequently, a rival Russian resolution aimed at extending the mission under previous conditions was blocked by the United States. The core of the disagreement centered on the political direction of the conflict. The US proposal intended to remove the word "Referendum" from the mission's title, effectively abandoning the vote on independence as a mandatory component of the mandate. Instead, it proposed making Morocco’s autonomy plan the sole basis for negotiations. This plan envisions integrating Western Sahara as an autonomous region within the Moroccan state, thereby excluding independence, which the Sahrawi people and the Polisario Front seek. Russia characterized the American draft as one-sided and biased, leading to the dual veto scenario that left the mandate expired. Reactions from the parties involved highlighted the deepening divide. The Moroccan Royal Palace welcomed the non-renewal, describing the mission as an instrument used to internationalize the dispute. King Mohammed VI had previously celebrated October 31, 2026, as the first "Unity Day," a holiday he instituted the previous year following what he termed a historical turning point for the national cause. This designation followed the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which for the first time called for taking Morocco’s autonomy plan as the basis for negotiations. Conversely, the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, labeled the decision to let the mandate expire "unacceptable." The Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed profound regret over the outcome and criticized the excessive bias present in the US draft resolution. Western Sahara, a vast desert territory along Africa’s northwestern Atlantic coast roughly the size of Colorado, remains classified by the UN as a non-self-governing territory. Critics of Moroccan control refer to it as Africa’s last colony. The land is rich in minerals and fisheries. Morocco currently administers nearly all of the disputed area, except for a narrow strip known as the free zone located east of a Moroccan-built sand wall. The territory was a Spanish colony until 1975, when Spain handed it over to Morocco and Mauritania. Following Morocco’s annexation, the dispute escalated into an armed conflict lasting more than fifteen years, which claimed over 16,000 lives on both sides, according to figures cited by the French Senate. The establishment of MINURSO in 1991 followed a UN-brokered ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the latter supported by Algeria. The settlement plan included provisions for a self-determination referendum with independence as an option. However, the vote never took place due to disputes over voter registration. Morocco insisted on including Sahrawis living in the territories it controlled, while the Polisario Front objected, arguing such inclusion would skew results toward integration with Morocco. The movement demanded the use of Spain’s colonial census to determine eligibility. Despite these efforts, the referendum remained unrealized. The mission maintained a maximum authorized strength of 534 personnel, with a budget exceeding $62 million for the 2026-2027 period. Twenty MINURSO personnel died during the course of the mission. Major troop contributors included Egypt and Ghana. The end of the mission raises concerns about regional stability, particularly given the history of violence in the area. Morocco views bringing Western Sahara under its full sovereignty as a central objective of its foreign policy for decades. Rabat has secured the backing of several Western capitals, including Washington, Paris, and London, referring to the territory as its southern provinces. The kingdom often measures its diplomatic relationships based on other nations' positions on this issue. In contrast, the Polisario Front continues to operate from refugee camps in the Algerian city of Tindouf. The movement aims to establish an independent Sahrawi Republic, viewing the territory as the homeland of the indigenous Sahrawi people. While the group has received support from Algeria, Russia, and South Africa, its international backing has diminished in recent years. The absence of the peacekeeping force leaves the ceasefire monitored by no international body, creating uncertainty over how violations might be addressed in the immediate future. The UN’s inability to secure consensus reflects broader challenges in managing long-standing territorial disputes through multilateral frameworks.