The United Nations has begun winding down its 35-year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara after the Security Council failed to renew its mandate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Sunday.
The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, officially ended its operations after its mandate expired on October 31.
Guterres said November 1 marked the beginning of the mission’s liquidation phase, during which a reduced UN team would oversee the return of military equipment to contributing countries and the disposal of UN-owned assets.
The decision followed a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Russia at the Security Council on Friday.
Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have extended the mission’s mandate while strengthening support for Morocco’s proposal to grant Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
The Security Council subsequently rejected a competing Russian resolution seeking to extend the peacekeeping mission without changing its existing mandate.
The failure to adopt either proposal brought an end to one of the UN’s longest-running peacekeeping operations.
Morocco welcomed the development, describing it as a significant step towards removing the Western Sahara dispute from the Security Council’s agenda.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Rabat had anticipated Russia’s opposition to the American proposal but viewed the outcome as an opportunity to reconsider the framework governing the dispute.
Bourita also questioned the continued relevance of MINURSO’s original referendum mandate, describing it as outdated.
The Polisario Front, which has pursued independence for Western Sahara since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1976, expressed concern over the Security Council deadlock.
Algeria also criticised the outcome, expressing deep regret over the mission’s termination and accusing Washington of excessive support for Morocco’s position.
The dispute over Western Sahara has remained unresolved for five decades, with Morocco controlling most of the territory while the Polisario Front seeks an independent Sahrawi state.
Although MINURSO was originally tasked with organising a referendum on self-determination, the vote never took place because of disagreements over voter eligibility.
In October 2025, the Security Council adopted a US-backed resolution identifying Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a potentially feasible basis for resolving the longstanding conflict.
Despite the termination of the peacekeeping mission, Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to pursuing a negotiated settlement that respects the right of Western Sahara’s people to self-determination.
He also warned that the withdrawal of peacekeepers could increase the risk of renewed hostilities and urged all parties to exercise restraint.
The UN said diplomatic efforts would continue through the secretary-general’s personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura.
