UN warns of security risks in Western Sahara as peacekeeping mission ends

The 35-year-old UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, known as Minurso, will conclude after the Security Council declined to renew its mandate, according to UN chief Antonio Guterres. Morocco, which asserts sovereignty over the territory, welcomed the decision while Algeria-backed Polisario Front expressed concern. The Polisario has been striving for an independent state in Western Sahara since Spain's withdrawal in 1976.

Minurso was initiated following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. On November 1, the mission entered the "liquidation phase," with assets being repatriated to contributing countries, as stated by Guterres. The mission's closing coincides with a year since the UN Security Council approved a US-drafted resolution endorsing Morocco's proposal to grant autonomy to Western Sahara under Moroccan rule as the most viable solution to the conflict.

Russia, which abstained in the previous year's vote, vetoed a subsequent US-backed resolution this year, which aimed to cement the UN's preference for the Moroccan plan while reducing the peacekeeping force. Consequently, the Security Council failed to adopt a new mandate for the mission, leading to its expiration without a renewed mandate.

Minurso's primary responsibilities included overseeing the ceasefire and organizing a referendum, which has never occurred due to disagreements over voter eligibility. Morocco's Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, acknowledged the mission's reference to a referendum as outdated in a statement to state media. Rabat saw the non-renewal of the mission as a significant step towards removing the Western Sahara issue from the Security Council's consideration.

Algeria's foreign ministry expressed deep regret over the non-renewal, attributing it to the US's "excessive bias" towards Morocco's position. The Polisario Front also conveyed concern regarding the deadlock in the Security Council meeting.