The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, delivered Monday a charged address from the UN Security Council chamber in New York, that saw him step away from the usual diplomatic reserve and adopt a tone of urgency.
Calling for immediate international engagement, De Mistura warned that the conflict is entering a dangerous phase, marked by deepening regional tensions and a breakdown in dialogue between key stakeholders.
His briefing, obtained by Jagoanblog.artEN, comes at a critical juncture, as the Sahara conflict sits at the intersection of regional rivalries and global power recalibrations.
Within the Tindouf camps, frustration is mounting, and fears are growing that the long-frozen conflict could aggravate into a broader regional crisis unless decisive steps are taken to end the stalemate.
This time, De Mistura’s message departed from protocol. Opening with an admission of disappointment, he noted that he had hoped to present progress toward a “just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution.”
Instead, he conceded that such progress remains elusive, dependent on the political will of both regional and global actors.
In perhaps his most striking comment, De Mistura reminded the Council that 2025 marks fifty years since the Sahara issue was placed on the UN agenda.
He urged members to seize the next three months as a window for renewed momentum, emphasizing that the October 2025 session could be pivotal—if backed by serious engagement, particularly from permanent Council members.
His recent diplomatic tour yielded three key insights from U.S. officials following the visit of Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to Washington. First, the U.S. underscored the need for Morocco’s autonomy proposal to be “genuine,” prompting De Mistura to call for clearer international communication around its details.
Rabat, however, firmly opposes any reinterpretation of the proposal, viewing it as a sovereign end-state, not a negotiable starting point.
Second, the U.S. reaffirmed that any resolution must be acceptable to both parties—an implicit call to resume direct political negotiations. De Mistura, in turn, hinted at a potential shift in his role from facilitator to full UN mediator.
Most significantly, Washington signaled readiness for “direct engagement” in advancing a solution, a move De Mistura described as a vital catalyst for UN efforts.
Simultaneously, France’s recent diplomatic activity in Algeria, though avoiding direct reference to the Sahara, reflects renewed attention from major powers—underscoring both the opportunity and the risks, as the Algerian-Moroccan rupture persists and military buildup intensifies.
On the humanitarian front, De Mistura recounted powerful testimonies from his visit to the Tindouf camps, particularly among youth who have never known life beyond them.
One young woman’s words echoed hauntingly: “I was born here, I’ve lived here but I don’t want to die here. I want to see my homeland. I want to be buried there.”
He sounded the alarm over looming aid shortages, citing warnings from the UNHCR and WFP that food assistance may halt by summer due to underfunding, an outcome that could deepen social unrest within the camps.
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Sahara: De Mistura drops diplomatic reserve, signals readiness for mediation role
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