Sahrawi administration’s top diplomat tells MEE that the US and European states have backed Morocco at the expense of their own interests and regional stability

Last week’s failure by the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of its Western Sahara mission after 35 years has deepened concerns that the conflict could escalate militarily while slipping further from international attention.

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) was established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the armed group fighting for Sahrawi independence in the territory, and pave the way for a referendum.

That ceasefire collapsed in 2020 and the referendum never happened.