US and Russia fail to agree: UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara ends after 35 years

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara has ended after 35 years. The mission stopped because the United States and Russia could not reach an agreement at the UN Security Council. The end of the mission means international monitoring in the disputed region has stopped. Morocco, which controls most of Western Sahara, celebrated the news. The Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the territory, criticized the outcome. The US and Russia disagreed on how to continue the mission's mandate. Without their agreement, the Security Council could not extend it. The mission, known as MINURSO, had monitored a ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front since 1991. Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa. Morocco claims the region as its own, while the Polisario Front demands a separate state. The UN has long tried to broker a solution, but no permanent agreement has been reached.