UN Security Council: Towards a settlement of the Sahara conflict under Morocco’s sovereignty

The Sahara conflict seems to be heading towards a settlement under Morocco’s Sovereignty, as emerged from a closed-door meeting on the issue, held on Monday, April 14, at the United Nations Security Council.

During the meeting, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, pleaded vehemently for renewed diplomatic momentum to reach a final settlement of a conflict that has been dragging on for decades. The UN diplomat emphasized the urgency of capitalizing on the current context—what he called an “unprecedented momentum”—to lay the groundwork for regional de-escalation and a credible revival of the political process.

Staffan de Mistura stressed, before the Council members, that the next three months represent a “strategic window” favorable to building a renewed roadmap toward a political settlement of the conflict. This diplomatic sequence comes amid a gradual realignment of international positions around the autonomy solution proposed by Morocco in 2007. This plan, repeatedly and regularly praised as “serious, credible, and realistic” by a majority of member states, is gaining increasing support on the multilateral stage.

One of the key drivers of this dynamic is the continued support of the United States for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. This recognition dating back to 2020 under the Trump first administration, was recently reaffirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the visit to Washington by Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Nasser Bourita. The senior U.S. official reiterated Washington’s commitment to a solution based on autonomy within the framework of Morocco’s national sovereignty.

Morocco’s ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, made it clear in a statement Monday evening to Med1TV, that “The United States is determined to bring the Sahara issue to a close.” “We hope to celebrate the happy ending of this conflict once and for all at the 50th anniversary of the Green March,” he said, sending a strong signal that marks, as deemed by several analysts, a definitive diplomatic shift in Morocco’s favor.

Staffan de Mistura also discussed France’s recent diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the region. The visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Algiers aimed to reduce friction sparked by Emmanuel Macron’s public statement, in which he described Morocco’s autonomy plan as a “pragmatic and stabilizing solution.” Although this gesture of appeasement received mixed reactions from Algeria, it nevertheless confirms Paris’s structural support for Morocco’s vision of a lasting resolution.

Another key moment during the closed-door session was the intervention of Alexander Ivanko, head of MINURSO (the UN mission in Western Sahara), who gave a stark assessment of the military situation on the ground. Directly contradicting the “war of liberation” narrative promoted by the Polisario Front and echoed by Algiers, Ivanko stated that the separatists are not capable “of inflicting significant damage on Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, nor of changing the status quo by military means.”

He went further, criticizing the Polisario’s ongoing refusal to cooperate with UN bodies, in contrast to Morocco’s approach, which he described as “cooperative and measured,” despite the Kingdom’s considerable military capabilities. “MINURSO benefits from close collaboration with the FAR [Royal Armed Forces],” he noted, while lamenting the inability of the force commander to meet with Polisario counterparts in Rabouni, located in Algerian territory.

In light of these observations, several diplomats agree that the United Nations, through the voice of Staffan de Mistura, is hinting at a shift in the paradigm of the issue. In addition, recent statements and reported facts tend to indicate a convergence toward a solution aligned with Moroccan sovereignty, in keeping with Security Council resolutions advocating for a political, realistic, and lasting outcome.

This Security Council meeting thus forms part of a historic sequence marked by the consolidation of Morocco’s diplomatic gains, driven by a clear vision, proactive diplomacy, and a growing international consensus around the autonomy plan. As the 50th anniversary of the Green March approaches, the signs point toward a possible resolution of the conflict based on the Kingdom’s national sovereignty.