The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, has ended after 35 years of operation. The mission's mandate expired on November 1, following the Security Council's failure to renew it. UN chief Antonio Guterres announced the end of the mission, marking the start of the "liquidation phase," where assets will be transported back to troop-contributing countries. This development comes after a year of intense negotiations, with the US and Russia holding differing views on the conflict.
The Polisario Front, which has been seeking an independent state in Western Sahara since 1976, expressed concern over the mission's termination. The group, backed by Algeria, has been in a longstanding conflict with Morocco, which claims the territory as its own. A UN-brokered ceasefire has been in place since 1991, but a referendum to determine the territory's fate has never taken place due to disagreements over voter eligibility. The Polisario Front stated it was "concerned at the deadlock in the Security Council meeting."
Morocco welcomed the decision to end the peacekeeping mission, with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stating that the mission's reference to a referendum was an "anachronism." Rabat had been informed that Russia was going to block the US-drafted resolution, but saw it as "an opportunity to review certain rules of the game." The Moroccan royal palace said the non-renewal of the mission was a "significant development" towards withdrawing the Western Sahara issue from consideration by the Security Council.
The end of the peacekeeping mission comes after the UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution last year, accepting Rabat's plan to give the territory autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the "most feasible" solution to the conflict. However, Russia, which abstained in last year's vote, vetoed another US-backed resolution this year, leading to the mission's expiration. A competing Russian resolution was also defeated, leaving the mission without a new mandate.
Algeria's Foreign Ministry expressed "deep regret" over the non-renewal, blaming the "excessive bias" of the US towards Morocco's position. The ministry's statement reflects the country's concerns over the implications of the mission's end on the Western Sahara conflict. The situation remains complex, with multiple stakeholders holding differing views on the territory's future.
The MINURSO mission was established in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire and organize a referendum. However, the referendum has never taken place, and the mission's tasks will now come to an end. The liquidation phase will involve the transportation of assets back to troop-contributing countries, marking the conclusion of a 35-year operation.
The future of Western Sahara remains uncertain, with Morocco's sovereignty claims and the Polisario Front's push for independence continuing to be contentious issues. The UN's role in the conflict has been diminished with the end of the peacekeeping mission, and the international community will be watching closely for developments in the region.
Key points
- The UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara ended on November 1 after 35 years of operation.
- The mission's termination follows the Security Council's failure to renew its mandate, with Russia vetoing a US-backed resolution.
- Morocco welcomed the decision, while the Polisario Front and Algeria expressed concern over the implications for the Western Sahara conflict.
