Morocco welcomes end of UN mission in Western Sahara after Security Council deadlock

Morocco has welcomed the closure of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara after competing American and Russian proposals failed at the Security Council. The end of the decades-long operation has raised concerns about security in a territory claimed by Morocco, where the Polisario Front has pursued independence for more than 50 years.

The council failed on Friday to approve a US proposal extending the mission, known as Minurso, for another year. The draft would also have dropped "referendum" from its name and established Morocco's autonomy proposal as the only basis for negotiations. Eleven of the council's 15 members supported it, including France and the UK, but Russia used its veto, saying the proposal favoured Morocco too heavily. A Russian draft retaining the existing terms received just two supporting votes.

Minurso's mandate expired on Saturday, 31 October. The UN announced the next day that the mission was entering liquidation, with a smaller team managing the transfer of equipment and other assets. Morocco called for personnel and equipment to depart within days and said the dispute should leave the Security Council's agenda. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged respect for Sahrawi self-determination and warned that hostilities could resume.

Morocco's royal palace welcomed the outcome, while footage from Laayoune, Western Sahara's largest city, showed celebrations featuring Moroccan flags and portraits of King Mohammed VI. Speaking to a special joint parliamentary session on Monday, House of Representatives Speaker Ahmed Touizi described the mission's end as a diplomatic victory and urged implementation of Morocco's autonomy plan alongside development projects.

Western Sahara was under Spanish colonial rule until 1975 and has substantial phosphate deposits and valuable Atlantic fishing grounds. Morocco and Mauritania both claimed it as Spain withdrew. The International Court of Justice recognised historical allegiances but found no territorial sovereignty overriding Sahrawi self-determination. Spain subsequently agreed to transfer administrative control to the two countries, without resolving sovereignty. Mauritania abandoned its claim in 1979, while Morocco continued fighting Polisario.

The UN established Minurso after Morocco and Polisario accepted a ceasefire in 1991, following 16 years of war. Its responsibilities included monitoring the truce and arranging a referendum offering independence or integration with Morocco. That vote, planned for 1992, never happened because the parties could not agree on voter eligibility. Polisario announced a return to armed struggle in November 2020.

Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal would allow Sahrawis to administer internal affairs while Rabat controlled defence and foreign relations. Polisario and its regional ally Algeria rejected it, maintaining that independence must remain a referendum option. In 2025, the Security Council backed autonomy as the most feasible solution. Nevertheless, Minurso's closure neither changes the territory's legal status nor constitutes international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty. Western Sahara remains on the UN's list of non-self-governing territories.

Moroccan international relations expert Issam Laaroussi told the BBC that the mission's departure could give Rabat greater scope to advance autonomy, but could also leave security gaps. Oxfam warned that removing monitoring and efforts to prevent escalation could damage stability and have serious consequences for civilians. Polisario condemned the American draft, with its representative Sidi Omar thanking Russia for blocking it.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the mission's closure did not end the ceasefire and affirmed Rabat's commitment subject to respect for its security and sovereignty. Polisario has not announced its next steps. Renewed fighting could draw in Algeria, which supports Polisario and hosts its leadership and thousands of Sahrawi refugees near Tindouf.