Morocco claims diplomatic win as UN mission ends in Western Sahara
The closure of Minurso leaves the territory without a peacekeeping force after a Security Council deadlock, prompting celebrations in Laayoune and new security concerns.
By Marina Weber ·
In Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara, residents gathered on the streets to wave Moroccan flags and display portraits of King Mohammed VI. The celebrations marked the official end of a United Nations peacekeeping presence that had operated in the region for three decades. For ordinary residents, the change means the departure of international observers who monitored the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The royal palace described the outcome as a diplomatic victory, while the House of Representatives Speaker, Ahmed Touizi, urged lawmakers to push forward with development projects and the implementation of Morocco's autonomy plan.
The shift began with the colonial era. Spain controlled the territory until 1975, when it agreed to transfer administrative control to Morocco and Mauritania. The International Court of Justice recognized historical allegiances but found no territorial sovereignty that overrode the right to self-determination. Mauritania dropped its claim in 1979, leaving Morocco in conflict with Polisario, a group that had been seeking independence for more than 50 years. After 16 years of war, the two sides accepted a ceasefire in 1991, leading to the creation of the UN mission known as Minurso.
The mission was originally tasked with monitoring the truce and organizing a referendum. That vote, planned for 1992, never occurred because the parties could not agree on who was eligible to vote. In 2020, Polisario announced it would return to armed struggle. By 2025, the Security Council had backed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most feasible solution, a framework that would allow local administration of internal affairs while Rabat controlled defense and foreign relations.
The current crisis began on Friday when the Security Council failed to approve a US proposal to extend the mission for another year. The draft would have removed the word "referendum" from the mission's mandate and established the autonomy plan as the sole basis for talks. Eleven members, including France and the UK, supported the measure. Russia vetoed it, arguing it favored Morocco too heavily. A competing Russian draft that retained existing terms received only two supporting votes.
With the mandate expiring on Saturday, 31 October, the UN announced the next day that the mission was entering liquidation. A smaller team is now managing the transfer of equipment and assets. Morocco requested that personnel and equipment leave within days and asked for the dispute to be removed from the Security Council's agenda. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged respect for Sahrawi self-determination and warned that hostilities could resume.
The territory holds substantial phosphate deposits and valuable Atlantic fishing grounds, making its status a point of regional interest. Morocco's Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, stated that the closure does not end the ceasefire and affirmed Rabat's commitment, provided its security and sovereignty are respected. Polisario, which condemned the American draft, thanked Russia for blocking it. Its representative, Sidi Omar, said the group had not yet announced its next steps.
Experts note that the mission's departure leaves the legal status of the territory unchanged. Western Sahara remains on the UN's list of non-self-governing territories. Issam Laaroussi, a Moroccan international relations expert, told the BBC that the exit could give Rabat greater scope to advance autonomy but may also create security gaps. Oxfam warned that removing monitoring mechanisms could damage stability and have serious consequences for civilians. Renewed fighting could draw in Algeria, which supports Polisario and hosts its leadership and thousands of Sahrawi refugees near Tindouf.
The UN team is currently handling the logistics of the withdrawal. The specific schedule for the final departure of equipment has been requested by Morocco, with the goal of completing the process within days. The Security Council will no longer have an active peacekeeping mandate in the region until a new resolution is passed.
