A commentary published in Premium Times argues that the United Nations Security Council’s decision to end its peace mission in Western Sahara is engineering a tragedy that will lead to war on the African continent. The author, Owei Lakemfa, asserts that the move, supported by Western Europe and the United States, reverses decades of peace processes and abandons the Sahrawi people to Moroccan control. The piece characterizes the abolition of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) as a betrayal of the UN’s own principles regarding self-determination.
Lakemfa traces the conflict back to 1982, when the Organisation of African Unity recognized Western Sahara as a member state. He notes that Morocco withdrew from the organization in 1984 after the decision was made, and only rejoined in 2017. The author claims the African Union failed to sufficiently interrogate Morocco’s return and now remains silent as the monarchy seeks to recolonize the territory by force. The text states that the African Union’s silence is a source of shame for the continent, suggesting that if war breaks out, Africa as a whole will suffer.
The article details the diplomatic fallout, noting that the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has warned it will abandon peace negotiations if the UN draft is approved without significant modifications. Sidi Mohamed Omar, the Polisario Front’s representative to the UN, stated that the front would have no choice but to withdraw from the process. In contrast, the Moroccan monarchy celebrated the decision, declaring that a thirty-five-year chapter had closed and that the mission had served only to internationalize the dispute. US Ambassador Mike Waltz endorsed the end of the mission, claiming that the Trump administration had done more for peace in the region than in decades.
Lakemfa criticizes the international community for diluting the tragedy of the Sahrawi people into a mere refugee issue. He points out that Algeria has long supported the Sahrawi, yet the Security Council has failed to uphold the rights of the people. The author argues that the UN Secretary-General’s call for respect of rights is hollow given the lack of enforcement. The piece concludes by linking the Western Sahara issue to a broader Western effort to normalize colonialism, suggesting that the fight for Sahrawi freedom is also a fight for the freedom of underdeveloped nations like Nigeria and South Africa.