Morocco says ceasefire commitment will continue after UN mission closes

Morocco’s Royal Palace said on Wednesday, 4 November, that the country would remain committed to the Western Sahara ceasefire after the United Nations mission monitoring it closed, according to Reuters. The Palace called Morocco’s commitment “voluntary”; its statement followed a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI with the prime minister, a royal adviser and the army chief.

MINURSO closed on 31 October 2026 and entered liquidation after Security Council members failed to agree on renewing its mandate, UN News reported. The closure ended the mission’s presence in the territory, where it had monitored the ceasefire. Morocco’s statement sets out its position after that change; it does not establish whether the ceasefire will hold or what monitoring arrangements will follow.

Why MINURSO was established

The Security Council’s failure to renew the mission followed competing proposals. UN News said Russia vetoed a US draft focused on an autonomy solution under Moroccan sovereignty. A Russian draft for a one-year renewal then failed to secure the nine votes needed to pass.

Different reactions to the mission’s closure

Morocco welcomed the mission’s non-renewal, Reuters reported. The Polisario said it was concerned, while Algeria expressed “deep regret.” The Royal Palace said the mission had been unable to ensure ceasefire compliance and that its original functions had become outdated; those were the Palace’s assessment, Reuters reported.

The dispute has seen renewed hostilities. Reuters reported that the Polisario said it resumed its armed struggle in 2020 after Morocco took a border crossing with Mauritania. Reuters also said the UN describes the conflict as low intensity. Against that history, Morocco’s stated commitment is a declaration by one party to the conflict, while MINURSO’s monitoring role has ended.