United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised alarm over the ongoing conflict in the Moroccan Sahara, warning that the current situation is unsustainable as the dispute nears its fifth decade.
In his annual report to the UN General Assembly, covering July 2024 to June 2025, Guterres expressed “deep concern” about rising tensions and low-intensity fighting between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
Guterres urged all parties to “change course urgently” to avoid further escalation and called for renewed international support for a political solution that both sides can accept.
The seven-page report reviews key developments on the ground and the UN-led political process. It includes the work of the Secretary-General’s personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura, who has been shuttling between Rabat, Algiers, Nouakchott, and the Tindouf camps while also holding talks with major capitals, including Washington, Paris, Berlin, and Brussels.
De Mistura briefed the Security Council twice over the past year, receiving broad backing from member states.
On the ground, the UN mission in the Moroccan Sahara, MINURSO, continues to face challenges.
The report notes ongoing skirmishes near Mahbes and rocket fire around Smara, as well as alleged airstrikes east of the sand berm that killed 11 people from Mauritania, Mali, and Sudan.
MINURSO also struggles with logistics and supply lines, though its freedom of movement has slightly improved.
The humanitarian situation in the Tindouf camps remains dire. According to the report, refugees continue to suffer from food shortages, malnutrition among children and women, and declining access to education and youth programs.
The UN estimates that $103.9 million will be needed in 2025 to cover essential needs.
A donor mission to the camps in May included, for the first time, representatives from the private sector, an attempt to broaden funding sources.
The Secretary-General said that confidence-building measures, such as family visits between the camps and the Moroccan Sahara, have not been resumed since they were frozen years ago, limiting contact between separated families.
As the conflict approaches its 50th year, Guterres said reaching a political solution has become “more urgent than ever.”
Guterres praised the dedication of his envoy De Mistura and MINURSO head Alexander Ivanko, while noting that the UN will continue pushing for a fair and lasting settlement.
The annual report, submitted ahead of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session in September, will serve as a key reference point in debates at the Fourth Committee, where member states will once again clash over their positions on the Moroccan Sahara.
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