Morocco says it will uphold Western Sahara ceasefire after UN mission ends

Morocco affirmed its dedication to the 35-year-old ceasefire in Western Sahara on Wednesday, despite the United Nations peacekeeping mission's termination due to the Security Council's failure to renew its mandate last week. The UN's withdrawal of its presence put an end to the international monitoring of the ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the territory, and the Polisario Front, an Algeria-backed group seeking an independent state since Spain's departure in 1976.

In a statement released following a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan Royal Palace emphasized that Morocco's commitment to the ceasefire will persist, even without the UN mission's oversight. The kingdom expressed satisfaction with the non-renewal of the mission, while the Polisario Front expressed concern, and Algeria expressed deep regret.

Morocco maintains control over Western Sahara's cities and coastline, having constructed a 2,700-kilometer security wall in the 1980s, leaving the majority of the territory under its control. The Polisario operates east of the wall, with bases in southwestern Algeria, where they oversee refugee camps.

In 2020, the Polisario announced the resumption of an "armed struggle" after Morocco seized a border crossing with Mauritania. However, the UN characterizes the conflict as "of low intensity." The UN mission has failed to enforce compliance with the ceasefire, and its original functions have become obsolete, according to the palace statement. King Mohammed VI called for vigilance to maintain Morocco's territorial integrity, national security, and citizen tranquility.

The palace announced last week that the UN mission's end means the Security Council will no longer consider the Western Sahara issue. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated in an interview with state media on Saturday that Morocco's next step would be to remove Western Sahara from the UN's decolonisation committee, citing the support of two-thirds of UN member states.