Morocco reaffirms Western Sahara ceasefire as UN peacekeeping mission ends

Morocco has pledged to uphold the long-standing ceasefire in Western Sahara, even as the United Nations concludes its 35-year peacekeeping mission in the region. The announcement from the Moroccan Royal Palace confirms that the nation's commitment to the cessation of hostilities remains unchanged, despite the UN Security Council's failure to renew the mission's mandate. The departure of the peacekeeping force marks a significant shift in the decades-long diplomatic and territorial conflict over the area.

Morocco currently maintains control over all major urban centers and the vast majority of the territory, which it considers an integral part of its sovereign land. This position is fundamentally at odds with the Polisario Front, which, with support from Algeria, has long campaigned for an independent state for the Sahrawi people. The conclusion of the UN mission effectively removes the direct oversight of the Security Council, a development that has prompted Morocco to seek the removal of the Western Sahara issue from the UN’s decolonization committee entirely.

While the Moroccan government maintains its peaceful stance, the end of the international mission has sparked significant concern among the Polisario Front and Algerian officials. Critics fear that the absence of UN observers could destabilize the region or lead to a vacuum in monitoring potential violations. As the responsibility for maintaining regional stability shifts away from the international community, Morocco appears focused on consolidating its administrative control and resolving the dispute through different diplomatic avenues.