Rabat — UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura has urged all parties in the Western Sahara dispute, including Algeria, to engage in a fresh round of negotiations.
De Mistura made his remarks during his latest briefing to the UN Security Council earlier this month.
Italian news outlet Agenzia Nova said it obtained information, containing reports that de Mistura called all parties to the dispute, including Algeria’s regime, to take part in UN-sponsored roundtables and inclusive negotiations by the end of 2025.
The agency stated that de Mistura is warning that “further diplomatic paralysis could trigger a dangerous military drift with regional and global consequences.”
Algeria’s regime has long distanced itself from the dispute, refusing to shoulder responsibility as a main party.
Despite its full support for the Polisario Front’s terror threats and independence claims, Algeria describes itself as merely an “observer” in the Western Sahara dispute.
Morocco’s government, however, has been stressing that Polisario has no legitimacy to represent Sahrawis, stating that Algeria’s regime should be part of the UN-led political process as it hosts, harbors, and finances the Polisario separatists.
Agenzia Nova outlet recalled the momentum in favor of Morocco’s position in the Sahara, as the international community continues to back the country’s autonomy initiative as the only framework able to end the dispute.
The news outlet also reported that de Mistura has acknowledged this momentum, calling on Rabat to further elaborate its autonomy plan in written and detailed form.
The UN official also “called on Algeria to help the Polisario prioritize the political path by abandoning the military logic,” the news outlet added.
Despite the appeals, it remains uncertain whether Algeria’s regime will respond positively to de Mistura’s renewed call, as it has long been obstructing the UN-led political process.
The Algerian government has, for years, hindered progress by refusing to acknowledge its historic involvement in the dispute.
Earlier this month, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reaffirmed his country’s stance, declaring that Algeria “will not abandon the Western Sahara.”
His remarks show the regime’s determination to maintain its positions and keep the dispute politically stagnant.
However, Algeria is fully aware that Morocco continues to gain growing international backing for its plan, a situation that deepens Polisario’s frustration and Algeria’s regime isolation.
“Three permanent members of the Security Council- the United States, France, and the United Kingdom- have repeatedly expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, describing it as the basis for a ‘realistic and pragmatic’ political solution,” the same source said.
The Italian outlet also recalled how Russia and China, while maintaining a “cautious approach,” have hinted at a “possible openness to dialogue.”
