In brief
After 35 years in the disputed territory, the UN mission MINURSO is wound down at Morocco’s request, marking the end of the longest African peacekeeping operation. The decision is part of efforts to resolve the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front, who represent the Sahrawi people and seek independence for Western Sahara. The UN says it will work with Morocco and the Polisario to prevent a resurgence of hostilities.
The United Nations announced on Saturday that its Mission to the International Settlement of Western Sahara (MINURSO), which has monitored a cease‑fire between Morocco and the Polisario Front for 35 years, will be wound down and withdrawn from the disputed territory, a decision that followed a request by Morocco to terminate the mission.
The closure marks the end of the longest‑running UN peacekeeping operation in Africa, according to the UN’s Secretary‑General’s Office. MINURSO’s staff and resources will be disbanded after a transition period during which the mission’s responsibilities will be transferred to the Moroccan government.
For the Sahrawi people, who call Western Sahara home, the withdrawal signals a change in how the conflict’s daily enforcement will be handled. The Polisario Front, the political and military wing that represents them, continues to push for an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in the territory.
Since the 1970s, when Spain withdrew and the two sides fought for control, the conflict has left the Sahrawi people in a liminal state, a situation that MINURSO sought to keep calm between the two parties. The peaceful monitoring of the cease‑fire allowed the Sahrawi to preserve their cultural identity and maintain a sense of community amid political uncertainty.
In an earlier statement, representatives from the UN Security Council said that the mission had helped maintain relative calm and that its withdrawal will not create a security vacuum. The UN spokesperson added that the department will work closely with Morocco and the Polisario to prevent any resurgence of hostilities.
Officials working on the transition say the 35‑year project will now be fully integrated into Moroccan administrative structures. Elements such as any remaining military standoffs or ongoing cease‑fire monitors will be handled by local forces, according to the UN Peacekeeping Operations bureau.
The UN’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has stated that the organization will remain “ready to keep supporting a peaceful resolution that respects the will of the people of Western Sahara.” He pledged that the UN would continue to provide diplomatic channels for both Morocco and the Polisario Front.
For the Sahrawi, the end of MINURSO does not mean the end of their aspirations for self‑determination. The Polisario Front says that its objective of an independent state remains unchanged, and that the withdrawal leaves the political status of the territory still unfinalized.
Some observers note that MINURSO also had the role of facilitating humanitarian support for Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf camps, many of whom have lived under challenging conditions for decades. The UN’s cessation of the mission raises questions about how these support functions will be managed moving forward.
In its briefing, the UN said it will “maintain our commitment to provide assistance to the Sahrawi people, ensuring that basic needs and rights are upheld.” It added that the organization would also keep its communication lines open with regional actors, specifically Morocco and the Polisario Front.
The dissolution of MINURSO reflects a turning point in the West Africa conflict that has plagued the region since the 1976 cease‑fire. The mission’s 35‑year presence had seen more than 40 deaths on both sides, but also an unprecedented period of relative stability in a border area that had seen sporadic violence.
Royal Moroccan officials said the decision to invite MINURSO’s withdrawal is part of a broader strategy to shoulder responsibility for the territory’s security, showing confidence in its own military capabilities and a willingness to end the UN’s presence as a long‑term operation.
Meanwhile, the Polisario Front has not offered any official statement regarding the UN’s exit. Its leadership remains engaged in calls for negotiations with Morocco, seeking a mutually acceptable solution that would allow for a future referendum on independence, as recommended by past UN resolutions.
The end of MINURSO also signals the conclusion of a humanitarian and diplomatic experiment that many felt had given the Sahrawi people a platform to present their cause on a global stage. The UN’s historical involvement was coordinated through the Secretary‑General’s Office and the Special Representative, who had dealt with both diplomatic and logistical matters for the group.
The UN limits its media coverage to statements from its own departments, meaning that outside perspectives could emerge as the transition progresses. Local Sahrawi community leaders are reportedly preparing for new forms of advocacy and self‑representation under Moroccan governance.
Foreign observers and media outlets that have covered the situation for decades describe the withdrawal as a watershed moment, the result of a delicate negotiation that balanced the interests of an indigenous population, a sovereign state, and an international peacekeeping organization.
As the UN mission ends, the sense of uncertainty among the Sahrawi people is palpable, but so is the sense that their community’s longevity and resilience will sustain them through this new chapter in their political life.
