De Mistura urges to take advantage of international support to advance in the solution of the Western Sahara conflict

The UN Secretary General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, called on the Security Council to take advantage of the current diplomatic momentum to move towards a definitive solution to the Sahara conflict, highlighting that the international context has taken a favourable turn towards the Moroccan autonomy plan, driven especially by the support of the United States and France.

‘I believe that the new momentum, based on the active and renewed commitment of some members of this Council, including the permanent members, will be an opportunity for regional de-escalation,’ said De Mistura, who also stressed that the next three months will be crucial for charting a clear roadmap towards a sustainable political solution. 

During the same briefing, the head of MINURSO, Alexandre Ivanko, presented a detailed report on the situation on the ground. Ivanko emphasised that the Polisario Front does not have the capacity to alter the status quo or to inflict significant damage on the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, which have so far shown an attitude of containment. He also revealed that Polisario rejected a proposal for a ceasefire during Ramadan, while the Moroccan army accepted it and reiterated its right to respond within the legal framework. 

Ivanko also praised the effective cooperation of Moroccan forces with the UN mission and their commitment to regional stability through land and air patrols and field visits. He also referred to the construction of a strategic 93-kilometre road that will connect Smara with Amgala and Mauritania, increasing the mobility of heavy vehicles and improving the operational efficiency of the forces deployed in the area. 

For her part, US State Department official Lisa Kenna reaffirmed Washington's position, declaring after a meeting with De Mistura that the Moroccan initiative is ‘the only viable solution’ for the Sahara, a position backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Morocco enjoys growing and key international support for its proposal of autonomy under national sovereignty. Renewed recognition from Washington and firm support from Paris consolidate this option as the only viable framework for putting an end to the prolonged regional conflict. Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed in a recent meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, in Paris, that ‘the Moroccan autonomy plan is the only basis for reaching a lasting political solution’. 

In this sense, Omar Hilale, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN, emphasised that De Mistura's presentation to the Council comes at a key moment, marked by firm US support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. According to Hilale, Washington is clearly willing to close this chapter within the framework of respect for Moroccan sovereignty, with a view to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Green March in November with a resolved conflict. 

Last November, during the 49th anniversary of the Green March, King Mohammed VI appealed to the United Nations to assume its responsibility in clarifying Morocco's legitimate status over its Sahara and put an end to international ambiguities on the issue. 

While Morocco is experiencing growing diplomatic support, Algeria — a player in the conflict due to its support for the Polisario Front — is, on the contrary, suffering a weakening of its diplomatic position, reflected in its crises with neighbours and traditional allies such as France.

Experts such as Rachid Lazrak and Omar Cherkaoui agreed on the need to address the conflict from a diplomatic and legal perspective. Both emphasised to Al-Arab that the Polisario's manoeuvres, exploited by Algeria, should not divert the UN-led negotiation process, which should focus on realistic solutions such as the Moroccan proposal.

‘From the information provided by De Mistura and Ivanko, we can see that it is essential to address the Sahara conflict diplomatically and legally, despite Algeria's manoeuvres to prolong it and use the Polisario Front as a tool to achieve its regional interests,’ explains Lazrak, a professor of political science.