What the end of U.N. peacekeeping in Western Sahara means

A man waves a flag from a car window featuring a map of Morocco that includes the Western Sahara in Casablanca, Morocco, on Oct. 31, 2025. | REUTERS

AFP-Jiji

Nov 8, 2026

Tunis – For the first time in more than three decades, the U.N. Security Council has failed to renew the mandate for its peacekeeping mission in North Africa’s disputed Western Sahara.

The vast mineral-rich desert territory, home to significant phosphate reserves and fishing resources, was a Spanish colony until 1975.

It is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, and remains on the U.N. list of nonself-governing territories.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW