UN peacekeepers exit Western Sahara after 35 years

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara will end on November 1 after the Security Council failed to renew its mandate.

Antonio Guterres, the UN chief, confirmed the start of the liquidation phase in a statement on Sunday. Assets will be transported back to troop-contributing countries immediately. This concludes a presence that has lasted 35 years. The mission, known as MINURSO, was established following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991.

The exit follows a year of procedural conflict at the Security Council. Last year, the body adopted a US-drafted resolution accepting Morocco's autonomy plan. This year, Russia vetoed a new US-backed resolution that would have cemented that plan while scaling back the force. The Council then defeated a competing Russian resolution. This sequence left the mission to expire without a new mandate. Russia had abstained in the previous year's vote.

Nasser Bourita, Morocco's Foreign Minister, spoke to state media about the outcome. He described the mission's reference to a referendum as an anachronism. Bourita noted that Rabat was informed of Russia's intent to block the US draft. He characterized the veto as an opportunity to review certain rules of the game. Morocco claims the territory, and its royal palace called the non-renewal a significant development toward withdrawing the issue from Security Council consideration.

Opponents of the Moroccan position expressed concern. The Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which has sought independence since Spain left in 1976, issued a statement regarding the deadlock. Algeria's Foreign Ministry expressed deep regret on Saturday. The ministry blamed excessive bias toward Morocco's position. MINURSO was originally tasked with organizing a referendum that never took place due to disputes over voter eligibility.

The end of the mission marks a shift in the international monitoring of the region. The liquidation phase begins on the same day the mandate expires. Troops and equipment will return to their home nations. The conflict remains unresolved, with Morocco maintaining sovereignty and the Polisario Front seeking statehood.