Rabat – The United Nations has begun the liquidation of its peacekeeping operation in Morocco’s southern provinces in Western Sahara (MINURSO), UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric announced today.
The announcement marks the start of the process on November 1, 2026.
The UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, conveyed Antonio Guterres’ gratitude to MINURSO and its personnel, including its Special Representative, Alexander Ivanko.
“This 1 November 2026 marks the start of the liquidation period, during which a smaller team reporting to the United Nations’ Department of Operational Support, will oversee the orderly transportation of assets belonging to troop-contributing countries to their respective nations, and the appropriate disposal of equipment belonging to the United Nations,” the UN spokesperson said.
Guterres, according to Dujarric, also called on all parties to the dispute to cooperate fully to ensure the liquidation process is completed in an “orderly manner” as soon as possible.
Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution on Friday that sought to rename MINURSO to MINUSO, reflecting the growing momentum the process has witnessed in recent years in line with Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the basis for resolving the dispute.
The proposed renaming sought to remove the letter “R,” which refers to the referendum, an outdated narrative that Algeria’s regime and the Polisario have long used to advance their separatist claims and challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces.
The UN Secretary-General also expressed concerns about the security situation throughout the region amid the Polisario’s repeated hostilities, including in 2020, when the group used civilians to carry out a blockade in Guerguerat.
The Polisario has also targeted civilians in Morocco’s southern provinces in Smara through repeated attacks, including one in May.
US Congressional bills are now urging the US to designate the Polisario as a terrorist group over its hostilities in the region, recalling its collusion with Iranian proxy Hezbollah.
The UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson concluded the statement by reaffirming the UN’s commitment to continue supporting the parties in reaching a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution for Western Sahara, citing “self-determination.”
The term has long been exploited by the Polisario and Algeria’s regime to advance their outdated narrative, while the UN-led political process has emphasized that Morocco’s Autonomy Plan could provide a form of self-determination under its sovereignty over the country’s southern provinces.
More than 135 countries support the Moroccan proposal, describing it as the most or only feasible political solution. These include the US, the penholder of UN resolutions on Western Sahara, as well as two other permanent members of the Security Council: France and the UK.
Following Russia’s veto, Morocco renewed commitment to the ceasefire, and emphasized that “the departure of the mission does not mean the end of the ceasefire.”
Morocco would, of course, continue respecting its commitments, including the ceasefire, Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita said on Saturday, recalling the Royal Cabinet statement issued following the UN Security Council developments and the non-renewal of MINURSO’s mandate.
Bourita stated that Morocco remains committed to the ceasefire and its respect, “which is important because the ceasefire is a political and legal commitment.”
