UN envoy Staffan de Mistura visited the Tindouf camps in Algeria on June 10, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to revive the political process on Western Sahara. The visit comes after UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025, which reaffirmed the primacy of the UN-led political process and called for a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting solution based on compromise.
During the visit, de Mistura met with Polisario Front leaders, who reiterated their traditional positions. However, diplomatic sources indicate that the Polisario's maneuvering space has significantly narrowed since Resolution 2797, which did not mention self-determination as the sole option and emphasized the need for a mutually acceptable political solution.
The visit's itinerary and the limited public statements from the Polisario suggest a shift in dynamics. The UN has been pushing for direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario, with Algeria as an observer, but the Polisario has resisted such a format. De Mistura's presence in Tindouf is seen as a message that the status quo is no longer sustainable.
Morocco has welcomed Resolution 2797 as a recognition of its autonomy plan as a serious and credible basis for a solution. The Polisario, meanwhile, faces internal and external pressures to engage more flexibly. The UN is expected to report on the visit's outcomes to the Security Council in the coming weeks.
