UN peacekeepers exit Western Sahara after 35-year stalemate

International observers pulled out of the disputed Western Sahara territory on Sunday, ending a 35-year presence that was meant to monitor a ceasefire. The U.N. mission ceased operations because of a standoff between the United States and Russia at the Security Council, leaving the region without its long-standing security monitor.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, announced that November 1, 2026, marked the start of the liquidation period. A smaller team under the U.N. Department of Operational Support will now manage the return of assets to their home countries and the disposal of equipment owned by the United Nations.

The mission, known as MINURSO, was established in 1991 to oversee a referendum on self-determination that never took place. It had been extended repeatedly until Friday, when Russia vetoed a U.S. draft resolution that would have supported Morocco’s claim to sovereignty and ended the mission next year. A competing Russian proposal to extend the mandate was also voted down, resulting in the immediate expiration of the force’s authority.

The territory, roughly the size of Colorado and rich in minerals and fisheries, is claimed by both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. Morocco controls nearly all of the land, except for a narrow strip called the free zone east of a sand wall built by Rabat. The Polisario Front operates from refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, and seeks to establish an independent Sahrawi Republic.

Morocco’s royal palace welcomed the decision, describing the mission as an instrument to internationalize the dispute. Conversely, the Polisario Front called it an unacceptable decision. The Algerian foreign ministry expressed profound regret over the non-renewal and criticized the U.S. draft for excessive bias, a stance that risks further straining ties between the two regional rivals, who severed diplomatic relations in 2021.

The U.N. force was authorized to deploy 534 personnel and operated on a 2026-2027 budget exceeding $62 million. Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan were the top military contributors. Twenty personnel lost their lives during the mission’s history. The U.N. reported last month that tensions and low-intensity hostilities have persisted since the Polisario withdrew from the ceasefire in 2020.

The secretary general called on all parties to respect the rights of the people in the territory and to exercise maximum restraint regarding the security situation. The next phase involves the orderly transportation of equipment and the withdrawal of troops, with no new mission scheduled to replace the expired mandate.