Sahara : UN envoy De Mistura challenges Algeria's «observer» status

Following his meeting on Friday in Washington with Massad Boulos, Special Advisor to the U.S. President for Africa, Staffan de Mistura addressed the Western Sahara issue during an interview with an Italian think tank.

The UN envoy said he is working to «avoid a conflict stemming from tensions, particularly between two nations, Morocco and Algeria, and a group called the Polisario». He stressed that he did not wish to go into further detail.

De Mistura’s remarks about Algeria’s role run counter to Algeria’s official narrative, which repeatedly claims it holds only an «observer status» in the Sahara dispute.

For context, during De Mistura’s last official visit to Algiers in April 2025, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reiterated that «Algeria, like Mauritania, is an observer in this matter».