UN ends 35-year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has formally ended operations after 35 years, concluding one of the organization's most extended and costliest missions. The mission, which was established in 1991 to oversee a ceasefire agreement between Morocco and the Polisario Front, had been tasked with monitoring the disputed territory and facilitating a political settlement.

The closure of MINURSO represents a significant turning point in a conflict that has persisted since Morocco's 1975 annexation of the former Spanish colony. The territory's status remains contested, with the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeking independence through the proposed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, while Morocco maintains claims of sovereignty.

The UN mission had faced mounting challenges in recent years, including diplomatic tensions and questions about its effectiveness in brokering a resolution. The withdrawal reflects the broader international difficulty in addressing the Western Sahara dispute, which has resisted settlement despite decades of negotiations and international engagement.

The end of the peacekeeping mission leaves the region's future uncertain, with no clear mechanism in place for continuing diplomatic efforts toward a final political settlement. Regional observers note that the conflict's underlying issues—territorial sovereignty, self-determination, and regional geopolitics—remain fundamentally unresolved.