UN's peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara ends after 35 years

FILE - A Sahrawi refugee boy stands in the shadow in the Boujdour refugee camp, Oct. 11, 2021. Bernat Armangue/AP hide caption Bernat Armangue/AP CASABLANCA, Morocco — The U.N.'s long-running peacekeeping mission for the disputed Western Sahara ceased operations Sunday after 35 years, as a result of a U.S.-Russia standoff at U.N. headquarters over the territory's future. The end of the mission raises concerns about stability in the region. Rich in minerals and fisheries, Western Sahara is a vast desert territory roughly the size of Colorado along Africa's northwestern Atlantic coast. Once ruled by Spain, it is claimed by both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. "This 1 November 2026 marks the start of the liquidation period," Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, said in a statement. "A smaller team reporting to the United Nations' Department of Operational Support will oversee the orderly transportation of assets belonging to troop-contributing countries to their respective nations, and the appropriate disposal of equipment belonging to the United Nations.'' The mission had been repeatedly extended since it was established in 1991. In the U....