The UN envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has proposed a potential solution to the decades-long conflict by suggesting the division of the disputed region between Morocco and the Polisario Front. This conflict, which began in 1975, pits Morocco against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the region.
De Mistura, during a private briefing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, floated the idea of creating an independent state in the southern part of Western Sahara while integrating the rest into Morocco with international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty. Despite the proposal, neither Morocco nor the Polisario Front accepted the partition plan.
Morocco has long pushed for autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front continues to demand a referendum on independence. De Mistura warned that if no progress is made within six months, the UN Secretary-General should reassess the envoy’s role.
The Security Council has emphasized the need for a mutually acceptable solution while acknowledging Morocco’s autonomy plan as “serious and credible.” The proposal has garnered growing international support, with France and the U.S. endorsing Morocco’s sovereignty. Algeria, however, has recalled its ambassador to France in protest of the French position.
While the Polisario withdrew from a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2020, the conflict remains at a low-intensity level.
