UN Withdraws 534 Troop Mission From Western Sahara After Security Council Deadlock

The United Nations concluded operations in Western Sahara on Nov. 1, 2026, ending a 35 year peacekeeping effort after a stalemate in the Security Council.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN secretary general, confirmed that a liquidation period began on that date. A smaller administrative team will now report to the Department of Operational Support. This unit is tasked with moving assets back to troop contributing countries and disposing of UN equipment.

The withdrawal follows a failed vote in the UN Security Council on Friday. Russia vetoed a US draft resolution that would have supported Morocco's claim to the territory. A subsequent Russian proposal to extend the mission was also rejected. The conflicting votes resulted in the immediate expiration of the force's mandate rather than a gradual transition.

The mission, known as MINURSO, was originally established in 1991 to oversee a referendum on self-determination. That vote never took place due to disagreements over voter eligibility. Morocco argued for a list that included residents in areas it controls, while the Polisario Front insisted on using a Spanish colonial census. The force was authorized for 534 personnel, with Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan serving as the top military contributors.

The 2026 to 2027 budget for the operation exceeded $62 million. Twenty UN personnel died while serving in the territory. The area is a vast desert roughly the size of Colorado, rich in minerals and fisheries, and sits along Africa's northwestern Atlantic coast.

Morocco's royal palace described the mission as an instrument used to internationalize the dispute. It welcomed the end of the mandate. The Polisario Front, which operates from refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, called the decision unacceptable. The Algerian foreign ministry criticized the US draft for excessive bias. The two nations severed diplomatic ties in 2021, and the mission's end risks further straining regional relations.

The UN secretary general called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. He noted concern over the security situation and the risk of hostilities escalating. The Polisario Front withdrew from the 1991 ceasefire in 2020, and the region has since experienced low intensity conflicts.