By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara has drawn to an end after 35 years following a failure by the Security Council to renew its mandate. UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that Sunday marked the formal conclusion of the long-running deployment, initiating an immediate unwinding of operations across the disputed territory.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the transition process in an official statement. “This 1 November 2026 marks the start of the liquidation period,” Dujarric said. “A smaller team reporting to the United Nations’ Department of Operational Support will oversee the orderly transportation of assets belonging to troop-contributing countries to their respective nations, and the appropriate disposal of equipment belonging to the United Nations.”
The dissolution leaves the region without international observers for the first time since the early post-colonial era.
Diplomatic Deadlock in the Security Council
The termination of the mandate followed an abrupt diplomatic stalemate at UN headquarters in New York between the United States and Russia. The collapse occurred a year after the Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution accepting Rabat’s plan to grant the territory autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the “most feasible” path toward resolving the conflict.
Tensions peaked on Friday when Russia vetoed a new US-backed resolution intended to cement the preference for Morocco’s autonomy plan while scaling back the peacekeeping force over time. The Security Council subsequently voted down a competing Russian draft resolution that sought to extend the existing mandate without those political conditions, leaving the mission without authorization to continue.
Divergent Responses from Regional Capitals
Reactions to the Security Council’s failure to extend the mission reflected the deep geopolitical divisions surrounding the territory. Morocco welcomed the outcome, seeing the shift as alignment with its territorial claims.
A spokesperson for the Moroccan royal palace characterized the non-renewal as a “significant development” toward withdrawing the Western Sahara issue from consideration by the Security Council and described the former peacekeeping mission as an “instrument to internationalize the dispute.”
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told state media that the mission’s original mandate regarding a referendum was an “anachronism.” Bourita noted that while Rabat had been informed of Russia’s intent to block the US draft, the kingdom viewed the standoff as “an opportunity to review certain rules of the game.”
Conversely, opponents of Moroccan control expressed sharp dissatisfaction with the outcome. Algeria’s Foreign Ministry voiced “deep regret” over the non-renewal, citing the “excessive bias” of the United States toward Rabat’s position.
The Algeria-backed Polisario Front called the outcome “an unacceptable decision” and stated that it was “concerned at the deadlock in the Security Council meeting.”
Roots of Africa’s Longest Territorial Dispute
Western Sahara remains one of the world’s most enduring territorial disagreements. The UN classifies the mineral- and fishery-rich desert territory, which spans an area roughly the size of Colorado along Africa’s northwestern Atlantic coast, as a “non-self-governing territory.” Critics of Moroccan administration view it as Africa’s last colony.
The dispute escalated into armed conflict after former colonial power Spain departed in 1976 and Morocco annexed the region. The subsequent war between Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front lasted more than 15 years and claimed over 16,000 lives.
Morocco currently administers the vast majority of Western Sahara as its southern provinces, while the Polisario Front controls a narrow eastern strip known as the “free zone,” separated by a Moroccan-built sand wall.
Establishing full sovereignty over the territory has served as the central pillar of Moroccan foreign policy for decades. Rabat has increasingly leveraged diplomatic relations to secure support for its sovereignty claims, earning endorsements from major Western powers including Washington, Paris, and London.
The Polisario Front continues to seek full independence for the Indigenous Sahrawi population, operating primarily out of refugee camps in the Algerian city of Tindouf. While backed by Algeria, Russia, and South Africa, the independence movement has faced diminishing international support in recent years.
History and Structure of MINURSO
Established in 1991 alongside a UN-brokered ceasefire, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, was originally tasked with maintaining the truce and facilitating a vote on self-determination.
The proposed referendum was never realized due to intractable disagreements over voter eligibility. Morocco maintained that Sahrawis residing within its controlled areas should be eligible to vote, whereas the Polisario Front insisted on utilizing Spain’s 1974 colonial census to prevent integration with Morocco.
Over its 35-year existence, MINURSO maintained an authorized strength of up to 534 personnel, supported by a 2026–2027 operational budget exceeding $62 million. Major military deployments to the mission were provided by Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan. A total of 20 MINURSO personnel lost their lives during the deployment.
Risks of Regional Instability and Escalation
The abrupt departure of UN monitors heightens security risks across a region already experiencing elevated tension. The Polisario Front formally withdrew from the 1991 ceasefire in 2020 following military clashes, leading to persistent low-intensity hostilities throughout the territory.
Western Sahara remains the primary flashpoint in the broader geopolitical rivalry between Morocco and Algeria. Algiers views total Moroccan control over the territory as a significant strategic defeat, a friction point that led both nations to sever diplomatic relations in 2021.
In light of the mission’s end, UN leadership appealed for stability across the region. Dujarric noted that the UN secretary-general “calls upon all parties to respect and promote the rights of the people of Western Sahara” and “remains concerned about the security situation throughout the Territory and the risk of escalation of hostilities. He calls on all concerned to exercise maximum restraint.”
The operational shutdown of MINURSO marks a critical juncture in North African geopolitics, shifting the responsibility for preventing conflict entirely back onto the regional parties. Although the Security Council remains seized of the Western Sahara file, the absence of on-the-ground international observers removes a vital diplomatic buffer. The coming months will test whether quiet regional diplomacy can preserve stability or whether the collapse of the peacekeeping framework will reopen broader security vulnerabilities along Africa’s Atlantic coast.
