The office of the United Nations Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has announced an impending extensive tour aimed at engaging various stakeholders involved in the Western Sahara conflict. This initiative falls under ongoing UN consultations intended to revitalize the political process, and it is expected to encompass visits to Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Tindouf camps. The diplomatic community indicates that this tour may convey distinct political messages from the UN envoy, emphasizing the critical need for serious engagement in the ongoing political process under UN oversight. Additionally, it will highlight the importance of referencing relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2797, as a foundational framework for any potential resolution to the conflict, ensuring a mutually agreeable and final solution among all parties involved.
These diplomatic efforts are part of a continuous UN dynamic that has followed a series of meetings held in major international capitals, including Madrid and Washington. Discussions during these meetings have primarily focused on strategies to relaunch the political dialogue on more effective and realistic bases. Sources close to the matter reveal that the United Nations is currently working to enhance communication channels and rebuild trust among the parties, paving the way for a new phase of negotiations. In this context, recent diplomatic reports suggest that the Security Council has received closed briefings from the head of the MINURSO mission and the personal envoy, during which the current political and field situation was discussed. These discussions noted relatively positive indicators that could open the door for revitalizing the political process, provided there is a willingness from the involved parties.
In earlier briefings to the Security Council, de Mistura spoke about the presence of a "genuine momentum" that could present an opportunity for progress in this complex issue. He urged all parties to capitalize on the current international and regional circumstances to advance towards a practical and lasting political solution that is acceptable to all parties, grounded in a realistic approach based on UN resolutions. This initiative aligns with ongoing pressure from the U.S. administration to announce the first practical step towards implementing the autonomy proposal under Moroccan sovereignty, a process overseen by Masad Boulous, the senior advisor to the U.S. President on Arab and African affairs, following the Security Council's decision issued at the end of October 2025.
In related news, media platforms and communications associated with the Polisario Front have reported that de Mistura will visit Algeria on the upcoming Sunday for a two-day visit, after which he will head to the Tindouf camps to meet with the front's leadership as part of preparations for a new round of discussions organized under UN auspices with the participation of international stakeholders. These developments come at a time when a new round of consultations was anticipated to take place in Washington last May. This third round was to follow two previous meetings in Madrid and Washington; however, it was postponed following attacks on civilian sites in the city of Smara, claimed by Polisario militias, which complicated the situation and brought the issue back to the forefront of field tensions.
Several countries have reacted to these developments, with the United States explicitly condemning those attacks, later joined by significant international and regional stances from countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, and numerous Arab nations, alongside the European Union, all expressing concern about any military escalation that could hinder political resolution efforts. The United Nations, through its official spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, has also expressed concern about these events, reaffirming its support for the MINURSO mission reports and underlining the necessity to avoid any actions that threaten the political process. Dujarric conveyed de Mistura's assertion that the current phase requires dialogue rather than escalation, emphasizing that a return to a ceasefire is essential for resuming serious negotiations.
Media leaks from closed Security Council sessions suggest that de Mistura believes there are indicators pointing towards the file nearing a stage that could lead to a final resolution, amidst what he described as a "positive dynamic" in the political process, particularly in light of UN Resolution 2797 of 2025. De Mistura's upcoming tour is expected to include Morocco, Algeria, the Tindouf camps, and Mauritania.
As reported by assahifa.com.
