UN: Western Sahara Peoples’ Self-Determination at Risk

Human Rights Watch today urged the United Nations Security Council to prioritize the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. As the Council prepares to renew the mandate for the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), HRW highlighted the deteriorating conditions in refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, and the ongoing human rights violations in the Moroccan-controlled parts of the territory. Since the 2020 collapse of the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, tensions have escalated, with no clear path toward the long-promised referendum. The report calls for MINURSO to include a human rights monitoring component, a move consistently blocked by Morocco and its allies. Thousands of displaced Sahrawis remain in precarious conditions in the Dakhla refugee camp and others, facing limited access to resources and an uncertain political future.