Rabat – The United Nations has called for restraint and a return to political dialogue following a recent attack on the southern Moroccan city of Es-Smara, which Polisario claimed responsibility for.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, shares concerns raised the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO raised over the May 5 rocket attack. The attack struck near civilian areas in Es-Smara, injuring at least one person.
“MINURSO expressed deep concern over incidents of firing in civilian areas and urged the parties to avoid any act that may jeopardize the ongoing political process,” Dujarric said.
He added that De Mistura stressed “this is a time for dialogue and negotiations, not a time for military escalation,” calling for an immediate return to the ceasefire and renewed efforts toward a lasting political solution.
“Such attacks underscore the urgent need to return to the ceasefire and negotiate a lasting mutually acceptable political solution to this conflict,” Dujarric said.
The UN warning comes amid growing diplomatic reactions from multiple countries. The United Arab Emirates described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s territorial integrity. The United Kingdom and the Czech Republic also condemned the attack, warning that such incidents risk undermining UN-led peace efforts.
Similar statements were issued by the European Union, the United States, France, and Belgium, all calling for restraint and a negotiated settlement, while also expressed support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
The Es-Smara incident is part of a broader pattern of repeated attacks at the hands of Polisario over the years. The front has been widely condemned as destabilizing and as a direct setback to already fragile diplomatic efforts.
The growing number of condemnations and diplomatic positions supporting Morocco’s autonomy proposal reflects an increasing international alignment with UN efforts to stabilize the situation. At the same time, the Polisario Front faces growing diplomatic pressure and an increasing isolation as more countries back a negotiated political solution under UN Security Council frameworks, based on Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only viable basis for a negotiated settlement, rather than any referendum-based approach.
MINURSO, the UN mission deployed to monitor the ceasefire, has repeatedly warned that attacks in civilian areas risk derailing already fragile peace efforts.
