62 Million Dollars: The End of Western Sahara's U.N. Mission

The U.N. mission in Western Sahara cost more than $62 million for the 2026-2027 budget before it ceased operations on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The end of the 35-year deployment stems from a standoff between the United States and Russia at U.N. headquarters. The two powers could not agree on how to handle the disputed territory's future.

The conflict has roots in 1975, when Morocco annexed the territory formerly ruled by Spain. An armed conflict followed that lasted more than 15 years and killed over 16,000 people on both sides, according to the French Senate. In 1991, a U.N.-brokered ceasefire took effect. That agreement created the U.N. Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO. The plan called for a vote on self-determination, but the referendum never happened.

The mission was extended repeatedly until last Friday. On the Security Council, Russia vetoed a U.S. draft resolution. That U.S. text would have supported Morocco's claim to sovereignty and ended the mission the following year. A rival Russian resolution to extend the mission was then voted down. The deadlock forced an abrupt end to the force's mandate.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, said the November 1 date marks the start of the liquidation period. A smaller team from the U.N. Department of Operational Support will oversee the process. Their job is to transport assets back to troop-contributing countries and dispose of U.N. equipment. Twenty MINURSO personnel lost their lives during the mission's history. The force was authorized to have 534 staff, with Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan as the top military contributors.

Morocco administers nearly all of the territory, except for a narrow strip east of a sand wall built by Morocco. The royal palace welcomed the decision, calling the mission an instrument to internationalize the dispute. Morocco has secured backing from Washington, Paris, and London. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, called the decision unacceptable. The Algerian foreign ministry cited excessive bias in the U.S. draft. Algeria and Morocco severed diplomatic ties in 2021.

The U.N. said last month that the territory has seen low-intensity hostilities since the Polisario withdrew from the ceasefire in 2020. The secretary general called on parties to respect the rights of the people of Western Sahara. He expressed concern about the security situation and the risk of escalation. Dujarric said the U.N. calls on all concerned to exercise maximum restraint.