De Mistura urges Algeria to join new UN-led talks on Sahara

Friday 17 October 2025 - 15:00

By: Dakir Madiha

De Mistura urges Algeria to join new UN-led talks on Sahara

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has renewed his appeal for all stakeholders, including Algeria, to engage in a new round of negotiations over the Sahara conflict under UN auspices.

During his most recent briefing to the UN Security Council, de Mistura emphasized the urgency of reviving the stalled peace process, warning that prolonged diplomatic paralysis could lead to regional instability with potential global repercussions.

According to Italian news outlet Agenzia Nova, de Mistura’s latest proposal calls for inclusive roundtables involving all key actors by the end of 2025. The envoy cautioned that the absence of dialogue risks fueling militarization and deepening divisions in North Africa.

Algeria has long maintained its position as an “observer” rather than a direct party to the dispute, despite its political, financial, and logistical support for the Polisario Front. Morocco, by contrast, continues to assert that Algeria’s regime bears direct responsibility for perpetuating the conflict by hosting and backing the separatist movement.

The UN envoy reportedly acknowledged the growing international momentum in favor of Morocco’s autonomy plan, widely regarded as the most pragmatic and credible path toward a lasting settlement. De Mistura is said to have encouraged Rabat to further detail its autonomy proposal in written form while urging Algeria to guide the Polisario toward political compromise instead of military escalation.

Recent diplomatic developments underscore Algeria’s resistance to change. Earlier this month, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reaffirmed that his country “will not abandon the Sahara,” signaling Algiers’ intent to preserve the status quo despite increasing international pressure.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s position continues to gain traction among global powers. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom, three permanent members of the Security Council have reiterated their support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, describing it as a “realistic and pragmatic” solution. While Russia and China maintain cautious stances, both have indicated a willingness to support renewed dialogue.

The call from de Mistura adds renewed diplomatic weight to efforts aimed at breaking years of deadlock. Yet whether Algeria will heed the UN’s appeal remains uncertain, leaving the region’s most enduring territorial dispute in fragile balance.