UN mission in Western Sahara ends after 35 years : NPR

Key Points:

• The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and facilitate a referendum on self-determination, ended after 35 years due to a U.S.-Russia deadlock at the U.N. Security Council.
• Western Sahara, rich in minerals and fisheries, is claimed by both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, with Morocco controlling most of the territory except for a small "free zone."
• Morocco welcomed the mission's termination, viewing it as an internationalization of the dispute, while the Polisario Front and Algeria condemned the decision, expressing concerns about bias and regional stability.
• The mission's end raises fears of renewed hostilities and instability in the region, with the Polisario having withdrawn from the ceasefire in 2020 and tensions persisting between Morocco and Algeria, which supports the Polisario.
• The dispute remains a significant diplomatic issue in North Africa, with Morocco seeking full sovereignty over Western Sahara and the Polisario advocating for an independent Sahrawi Republic.