Sahara: MINURSO closes its hospital facility in Laayoune

Three weeks after ending the duties of around 20 members of its medical staff, MINURSO has decided to close the hospital facility set up at its headquarters in Laayoune. The facility’s equipment is expected to be handed over to local humanitarian organizations, Yabiladi learned on Friday.

With this latest measure, the UN mission is continuing to reduce its staff and refocus its activities in Western Sahara. Since 2025, under pressure from the Trump administration, MINURSO has been undergoing a far-reaching internal restructuring. This has notably led to the departure of several senior officials, the withdrawal of a helicopter used to monitor the ceasefire, and the closure of three observation posts, including two located east of the Sand Wall built by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR).

In April, the UN Security Council launched a strategic review of MINURSO’s mandate, a process expected to culminate when the mandate next comes up for renewal in October. The United States, like Morocco, is pushing for this review to be accelerated. France also supports this approach.

The issue was also on the agenda of a meeting held on Thursday, May 28, between President Donald Trump’s special adviser for African and Arab affairs, Massad Boulos, and the French Foreign Ministry’s director for North Africa and the Middle East, Omaric Roignan, a source close to the matter told Yabiladi.

The United Kingdom is also expected to be involved in discussions on the proposal, which could be submitted to Security Council members for approval next October.

A similar initiative had already been launched before the adoption of Resolution 2797 on October 31, 2025.