UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara has ended: Guterres

The 35-year-old United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, will conclude on November 1 after the Security Council declined to renew its mandate, according to UN chief Antonio Guterres. Morocco, which asserts sovereignty over the region, welcomed the decision, while opponents backed by Algeria expressed concerns.

The Polisario Front, seeking an independent state in Western Sahara since Spain's withdrawal in 1976, has been awaiting such a resolution since the mission's establishment following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. The mission's assets will be returned to contributing countries during the "liquidation phase." The end of the mission follows a year after the Security Council approved a US-drafted resolution endorsing Morocco's plan for autonomy under Moroccan rule as the most viable solution to the conflict.

Russia, which abstained in last year's vote, vetoed a subsequent US-backed resolution endorsing the Moroccan plan while reducing the peacekeeping force. The Security Council then rejected a competing Russian proposal, allowing the mission to expire without a new mandate. MINURSO's mandate primarily focused on monitoring the ceasefire and organizing a referendum, which has never occurred due to voter eligibility disputes.

Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated that the mission's reference to a referendum was outdated. Morocco's royal palace deemed the non-renewal as a "significant development" towards removing the Western Sahara issue from Security Council discussions. In contrast, Algeria's Foreign Ministry expressed "deep regret" over the decision, attributing it to perceived US bias favoring Morocco.