Polisario rejects De Mistura's proposed partition of the Sahara

The Polisario Front has rejected a proposal by the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura to partition Western Sahara. De Mistura presented the proposal to the UN Security Council on October 16.

In a press release, the Polisario stated that during their meeting on October 3, 2024, they categorically rejected «any proposal that deviates from the legal framework of the Western Sahara conflict».

The Polisario emphasized that «Morocco's military invasion of Western Sahara in 1975 and subsequent division of the territory with Mauritania violated international law and the territorial integrity of Western Sahara».

De Mistura announced that he had discussed the partition proposal «discreetly» with all relevant parties. In 2002, James Baker, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for the Sahara, had proposed a similar partition plan, which the Polisario remained silent about at the time.