De Mistura shocks the Polisario: the referendum is over, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only solution

ALDAR/ Iman Alaoui

In a new step in his efforts to unlock the Sahara file, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura delivered a firm message to the leadership of the Polisario Front during his visit to Tindouf on Sunday. He made it clear that the option of a referendum is no longer on the table under any circumstances, and that the Moroccan autonomy initiative represents the only realistic solution, enjoying growing international support and forming the basis for negotiations.

Sources revealed that De Mistura stressed before the Front’s leaders that several major powers, including the United States, France, and Spain, along with influential countries within the Security Council, now consider autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty the most suitable framework to achieve a swift settlement of this long-standing conflict. He also explained that some permanent members of the Council are seriously pushing for this option to be adopted as the final reference for the political process.

However, the meeting did not run smoothly: the UN envoy was met with the intransigence of the Polisario leadership, which reiterated an outdated discourse reflecting Algeria’s position more than it responded to the shifts in international power balances. This insistence on clinging to obsolete options prompted De Mistura to leave Tindouf in frustration, after noting the absence of any willingness to engage with the requirements of a realistic solution.

Observers believe this development marks a turning point in the trajectory of the conflict, as the United Nations itself now appears to lean clearly toward supporting autonomy as a credible and practical solution, while the Polisario faces increasing isolation due to its attachment to an agenda that no longer resonates with the international community.