Morocco annexed the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975, sparking a conflict with the pro-independence Polisario Front, which the United Nations has long recognized as the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people.

The U.N. brokered a 1991 cease-fire and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. Disagreements over who is eligible to vote prevented the referendum from taking place.

Morocco has long sought recognition of its claim from its other nations, while the Polisario has prioritized fighting legal battles to assert its right to represent the people and territory. Sporadic violence has ensued since the Polisario renewed armed conflict in 2020, ending a 29-year truce.

The longstanding territorial dispute is a major factor in many of North Africa’s foremost issues, including migration, smuggling and counterterrorism.