The UN’s envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has proposed dividing the disputed territory between Morocco and the Polisario Front as a potential resolution to the nearly five-decade conflict.
The conflict, which began in 1975, sees Morocco claiming Western Sahara as part of its territory, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeks independence for the region. Morocco has suggested granting the area autonomy under its sovereignty, but the Polisario Front insists on a referendum with independence as an option.
In a closed-door briefing to the UN Security Council, De Mistura, an experienced Italian diplomat, suggested a partition that could establish an independent state in the southern part of the territory while integrating the rest under Moroccan sovereignty with international recognition. However, neither Morocco nor the Polisario Front accepted the proposal.
De Mistura warned that if no progress is made within six months, the UN Secretary-General should reconsider the relevance of his role as an envoy.
The UN Security Council has repeatedly urged the parties to work towards a mutually acceptable political solution, and Morocco’s autonomy plan has been described as “serious and credible.” De Mistura also encouraged Morocco to further explain and promote its autonomy proposal.
In recent years, Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara has gained significant international support. France and the United States, both permanent members of the Security Council, have endorsed Morocco’s claim. In response, Algeria recalled its ambassador to France. Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara, along with several Arab nations and Israel, also back Morocco’s autonomy plan.
Despite the Polisario’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2020, the conflict remains at a low intensity.