534 Troops Withdraw as 35-Year Sahara Mission Ends

The United Nations’ peacekeeping presence in Western Sahara ended on November 1, 2026. This halt to operations concludes a 35-year mission that monitored a disputed territory along Africa’s northwestern Atlantic coast. The withdrawal leaves a vast desert region, roughly the size of Colorado, without the international oversight that had been in place since 1991.

The mission, known as MINURSO, was established under a 1991 ceasefire agreement. That deal was intended to lead to a referendum on self-determination, a vote that never took place. Morocco and the Polisario Front, a pro-independence group backed by Algeria, could not agree on who was eligible to vote. Morocco wanted to include residents of the territory it administers, while the Polisario Front argued for using Spain’s colonial census. The disagreement stalled the process for decades.

The recent collapse of the mission stems from a standoff at the U.N. Security Council on Friday. Russia vetoed a draft resolution proposed by the United States. That U.S. draft would have supported Morocco’s claim to sovereignty and scheduled the end of the peacekeeping force for next year. A rival Russian resolution to extend the mission was then voted down. The deadlock resulted in an abrupt termination of the force’s mandate rather than an orderly transition.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, announced the start of the liquidation period on November 1. A smaller team reporting to the U.N. Department of Operational Support will now oversee the move. They will transport assets from troop-contributing countries to their home nations and dispose of U.N. equipment. The mission had a 2026-2027 budget of more than $62 million and was authorized for 534 personnel. Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan were the top military contributors.

The dispute over Western Sahara has been a central feature of regional diplomacy for decades. Morocco annexed the territory in 1975 after Spanish rule ended. The subsequent armed conflict lasted more than 15 years and killed over 16,000 people on both sides, according to the French Senate. Morocco controls nearly all of the land, excluding a narrow strip east of a sand wall known as the free zone. The Polisario Front operates from refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, seeking to establish an independent Sahrawi Republic.

Reactions to the mission's end were divided. The Moroccan royal palace welcomed the decision, describing the mission as an instrument to internationalize the dispute. The Polisario Front called the move unacceptable. The Algerian foreign ministry expressed profound regret and criticized the U.S. draft for excessive bias. The U.N. noted that the Polisario Front withdrew from the 1991 ceasefire in 2020. The territory has experienced low-intensity hostilities since then.

The U.N. force has not been without cost. Twenty MINURSO personnel lost their lives during the mission. The secretary general called on all parties to respect the rights of the people of Western Sahara. He expressed concern about the security situation and the risk of hostilities escalating. He urged all concerned to exercise maximum restraint as the peacekeepers depart.

The withdrawal places the relationship between Morocco and Algeria under additional strain. The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2021. Algiers views full Moroccan sovereignty as a diplomatic defeat. The end of the U.N. mission risks further complicating relations and fueling regional tensions in the coming months.