UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed significant alarm regarding the potential for military escalation in Western Sahara following the formal conclusion of the United Nations' 35-year peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, ceased operations after the UN Security Council failed to secure an extension of its mandate beyond October 31.
The mission's termination follows a Russian veto on Friday of a US-drafted resolution intended to renew the mandate, despite 11 council members voting in favor and three abstaining. In response to the development, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated on Sunday that the Secretary-General remains concerned about the security climate throughout the territory and the risk of rising hostilities. Dujarric urged all involved parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that might further increase tensions or destabilize the region.
As part of the wind-down, a reduced team under the UN Department of Operational Support has initiated a liquidation phase. This process involves repatriating equipment belonging to troop-contributing countries and overseeing the disposal of UN-owned assets. Despite the end of the mission, which was established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, Guterres emphasized that the withdrawal does not diminish the inalienable right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. He also paid tribute to Special Representative Alexander Ivanko and honored the 20 personnel who lost their lives during the mission's tenure.
While peacekeeping operations have concluded, political negotiations are set to continue under the guidance of the UN chief’s personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura. The dispute over Western Sahara has persisted since 1975, following the end of Spanish colonial rule, and previously escalated into armed conflict until the 1991 ceasefire. Morocco currently proposes broad autonomy for the territory under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front, with support from Algeria, maintains its demand for a referendum on self-determination.
