In a significant escalation of tensions, armed elements of the Polisario Front on Monday morning blocked a convoy of United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Sahara (MINURSO) vehicles en route to Agwanit via the Aousserd corridor, east of Morocco’s security berm.
According to Hespress AR UN sources, the blocked trucks were carrying logistical equipment for the peacekeeping mission. The Polisario has not yet issued a formal statement explaining the reasons behind this unprecedented obstruction.
This incident comes just days after Alexander Ivanko, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of MINURSO, briefed the UN Security Council, citing “persistent obstructions” by the Polisario that are hampering the mission’s activities.
These include disruptions to the transport of humanitarian and technical equipment, and the refusal to allow meetings with Polisario officials. In contrast, Ivanko praised the “cooperation and facilitation” provided by Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces.
The move has raised concerns of a renewed flare-up in the already tense buffer zone east of the Moroccan defense wall. It also highlights growing frustration with the Polisario’s actions, which threaten the fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1991 under UN auspices.
The United Nations and international powers continue to stress the importance of upholding the ceasefire and creating favorable conditions for a political resolution. Central to these efforts is Morocco’s autonomy plan, widely considered a viable basis for a lasting settlement to the decades-long dispute.
The blocking of UN operations marks a worrying development and may prompt fresh scrutiny of the Polisario’s conduct by the Security Council, particularly as momentum builds for a diplomatic solution.
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