UN Sahara envoy Staffan de Mistura conferred Monday with Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf within the frame of a regional tour and preparations for a new round of talks on the Sahara in accordance with UNSC resolution 2797 endorsing the Autonomy Plan under Moroccan sovereignty.
A statement issued by the Algerian Foreign ministry said talks focused on the efforts engaged to advance the Sahara negotiation process to reach an acceptable political solution in accordance with the UN Charter and resolutions.
Algeria says it supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy but still refuses to acknowledge that it is the primary stakeholder in the Sahara conflict though the Algerian military regime shelters, funds and arms the Polisario militias.
UNSC Resolution 2797, adopted end of October 2025, calls upon the four parties to the Sahara conflict (Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Polisario) to engage in discussions without preconditions, taking as basis Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal, with a view to achieving a final and mutually acceptable political solution.
De Mistura’s talks in Algeria, the main a party to the Sahara regional conflict, come after his visit to Tindouf camps and meeting with Polisario leaders. This trip coincided with the elimination of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, the son of former Head of Polisario and a high-profile figure who was seen as the main successor to Brahim Ghali, the current chief of the Algeria-backed separatist group.
According to some analysts, the liquidation of the son of Mohamed Abdelaziz was a highly calculated operation meticulously planned by the Algerian intelligence services and executed by the Polisario leadership. Their primary goal was to derail de Mistura’s agenda and undermine the U.S.-UN-led efforts focusing on the implementation of the UNSC resolution 2797 taking the Moroccan Autonomy plan as a basis for negotiations.
The Polisario and Algeria were hoping that the news of the killing of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz along with other Polisario members would have sparked strong international reactions as those made following the rocket attacks launched by the mercenaries against the Moroccan city of Smara.
But all their schemes have failed. The Trump administration along with its Western allies stayed composed and focused on advancing the Sahara political process in line with UN Security Council decision, saying the five-decade conflict cannot continue.
Following his meeting with De Mistura, U.S. senior presidential advisor Massad Boulos said they discussed “strategies to further the implementation of UNSCR 2797, specifically ways to assist the parties in achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution.”
“The Sahara dispute has dragged on for more than 50 years, and as UNSCR 2797 underscored, the parties should urgently realize a resolution,” said Mr. Boulos in a comment posted on his X account.
As Norway plays a key role in facilitating dialogue and peace efforts around the world, Staffan de Mistura and Massad Boulos have raised the Sahara issue at the Oslo Forum held June 1-3. This forum is an annual gathering diplomats, mediators, and peace-builders to discuss international mediation and conflict resolution.
In a post published on his X account, Boulos said they had “valuable discussion at the Oslo Forum on Western Sahara and the importance of sustained diplomacy to resolve this long-standing dispute.”
“As we advance the work of UNSCR 2797, pragmatic dialogue, political will, and compromise remain essential to achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution that furthers regional stability and prosperity” he underlined, affirming that “good faith discussions should take place without delay.»
According to some analysts, Oslo represents an important stage in the process of resolving the Sahara issue. It builds on the quadripartite negotiations hosted by Madrid and Washington in line with UNSC resolution 2797 which endorsed the Autonomy Plan in the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.
Now, all eyes are on the next round of talks between the four parties to the conflict. These talks will shape the decisions that will be made by the UN Security Council during its pivotal meeting scheduled for October 31, 2026.
