UN ends Western Sahara mission after 35 years

The United Nations ceased its peacekeeping operations in Western Sahara on Sunday after 35 years.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, announced the start of the liquidation period in a written statement. He noted that a smaller team would now report to the UN Department of Operational Support. This reduced staff will oversee the transfer of assets to troop-contributing countries and manage the disposal of UN equipment.

The mission, established in 1991, was repeatedly extended until a deadlock at the Security Council forced its end. On Friday, Russia vetoed a U.S. resolution that would have supported Morocco’s claim to sovereignty and closed the mission next year. A rival Russian proposal to extend the mandate was subsequently rejected in the vote. This sequence of events resulted in the immediate withdrawal of the blue helmet forces.

Western Sahara is a desert region in northwestern Africa roughly the size of Colorado. It is rich in minerals and fishing resources. The territory was formerly ruled by Spain. Morocco and the Polisario Front, which advocates for independence, both claim the land. The UN classifies it as a non-self-governing territory, a designation critics of Moroccan control describe as the last colony in Africa.

Rabat administers most of the disputed area, excluding a narrow strip east of a sand wall known as the free zone. Morocco annexed the territory in 1975. The conflict that followed lasted more than 15 years and claimed over 16,000 lives on both sides, according to the French Senate. Integrating Western Sahara under full Moroccan sovereignty has been a central goal of the kingdom’s foreign policy for decades.

The Moroccan palace welcomed the decision not to renew the mission, calling it a tool used to internationalize the dispute. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, labeled the outcome an unacceptable decision. The Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed deep regret over the non-renewal and criticized what it described as excessive bias in the American draft. Morocco has gained support from Western capitals including Washington, Paris, and London, which refer to the region as its southern provinces.