For 35 years, United Nations peacekeepers have stood guard in Western Sahara, trying to resolve one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes.
However, now that mission is officially dead.
On 1st November, the U.N. began winding down operations after a bitter geopolitical deadlock at the Security Council. The breakdown happened when Russia vetoed a U.S.-backed Resolution to extend the mandate, objecting to a push to prioritise Morocco’s autonomy plan. A rival Russian proposal also crashed and burned.
With no agreement, the mission known as MINURSO expired. A skeleton crew is now liquidating the operation, shutting down 13 bases and pulling out personnel.
U.N. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric outlined the sudden shutdown. “As you saw on Sunday, November 1, that marked the start of the liquidation period for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, otherwise known as MINURSO, which ceased its operations following the non-renewal of its mandate by members of the Security Council. On the ground and with support from headquarters, a smaller team reporting to our Department of Operational Support will now oversee the orderly and environmentally responsible closure and handover of 13 sites that were operated by MINURSO. The liquidation of the mission will be carried out in a phased manner, in line with our established procedures,” he said.
This resource-rich territory on Africa’s north-west coast has been a flashpoint for decades. Rich in phosphates and valuable Atlantic fishing grounds, it was a Spanish colony until 1975. When Spain pulled out, both Morocco and Mauritania claimed the land. Morocco’s King Hassan The Second famously launched the “Green March”, sending 350,000 civilians across the border. Spain later handed over administrative control but the question of who actually owns the land was never settled.
Enter the Polisario Front: A Sahrawi nationalist politico-military organisation. The independence movement launched a fierce guerrilla war. Mauritania dropped its claim in 1979 but Morocco and the Polisario kept fighting. Algeria stepped in to back the rebels, turning the dispute into a massive regional proxy war.
A 1991 ceasefire brought in the U.N. The goal? Hold a referendum so the Sahrawi people could choose between total independence or integration with Morocco. However, the vote never happened, paralysed by decades of bitter arguments over voter eligibility. Peacekeepers were left simply monitoring a massive sand wall separating the two sides. Diplomatically, the gap has only widened. Morocco offers local autonomy under its flag. The Polisario demands a vote on full independence.
As for the U.S., it has thrown its weight behind Morocco, a policy accelerated in 2020 when Donald Trump recognised Moroccan sovereignty.
However, away from the U.N. halls in New York City, the human cost is heavy. Generations of Sahrawis have grown up Stateless in scorching refugee camps across the Algerian border. For them, the U.N.’s exit sparks deep anxiety about what comes next.
With peacekeepers packing up, security fears are mounting. Human-rights groups such as Oxfam warn that removing the U.N.’s buffering presence leaves civilians highly vulnerable and risks a major military escalation. The U.N. insists that it isn’t giving up on diplomacy.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says that his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara will keep pushing for peace. However, now, on the ground, the future of Western Sahara looks more uncertain than ever.
Ramesh Ramachandran is a senior consulting editor with D.D. India
