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The Structural Contradiction Between the 1975 ICJ Ruling and the 1991 UN Settlement Plan in Western Sahara

The United Nations has officially begun liquidating its MINURSO peacekeeping operation after the Security Council failed to renew its mandate. The collapse of the 35-year mission removes the primary international buffer between Morocco and the Polisario Front, raising immediate concerns of regional escalation.

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United Nations peacekeepers patrol the desert in Western Sahara. The 35-year MINURSO mission is now being liquidated following a Security Council deadlock.From: UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock

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Key numbers

266,000 sq km
Size of the contested territory
74,000
Individuals counted in the 1974 Spanish census
130,000
Contested voter applications submitted to the UN
80%
Share of territory controlled by Morocco
33 years
Time elapsed since the UN Settlement Plan

From: The Structural Contradiction Between the 1975 ICJ Ruling and the 1991 UN Settlement Plan in Western Sahara

Charts, maps and images

The 2,700-kilometer sand wall divides Moroccan-controlled territory from areas held by the Polisario Front.From: UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock ·
The UN voter identification process collapsed when 130,000 contested applications overwhelmed the 74,000-person baseline of the 1974 census.From: The Structural Contradiction Between the 1975 ICJ Ruling and the 1991 UN Settlement Plan in Western Sahara ·
Morocco currently controls roughly 80 percent of the territory, while the Polisario Front controls the remaining 20 percent east of the sand berm.From: The Structural Contradiction Between the 1975 ICJ Ruling and the 1991 UN Settlement Plan in Western Sahara ·
The UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution extending the MINURSO mandate on October 30, 2026, following a standoff between the US and Russia.From: UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock ·
Dismantling the MINURSO mission will require extracting hundreds of personnel and equipment from remote desert outposts over several months.From: UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock ·
The withdrawal of international monitors raises fears of renewed open warfare between Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front.From: UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock ·

Timeline

November 2026

  1. UN Terminates 35-Year Western Sahara Peacekeeping Mission Following Security Council Deadlock

September 2026

  1. The Structural Contradiction Between the 1975 ICJ Ruling and the 1991 UN Settlement Plan in Western Sahara