The United Nations ends its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory.It’s one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.The dispute over the territory of Western Sahara started more than 50 years ago. It began with the end of Spanish colonial rule in the region.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4From Morocco to South Africa, Israel election watched closely across Africalist 2 of 4Algeria’s military deployment to Niger: What’s behind the move?list 3 of 4Rival US and Russian resolutions on Western Sahara fail at UNlist 4 of 4Why is Morocco celebrating the defeat of a UN resolution on Western Sahara?end of listSince then, both Morocco and the Polisario Front have claimed the Western Sahara.In the 1990s, the United Nations tried to reach a settlement, and deployed a peacekeeping mission to the region.Last week, that effort ended when Russia and the United States blocked proposals to extend the mission’s mandate.So, could this development lead to renewed fighting?Presenter: Imran KhanGuests:Samir Bennis – Political analyst and author of the book The Self-Determination Delusion: How Activist Scholars and Journalists Have Hijacked the Western Sahara CaseIrene Fernandez-Molina – Senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and author of the book Moroccan Foreign Policy under Mohammed VI, 1999-2014Mahjoub Mleiha – Advocacy head of Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA)
What’s the future of the Western Sahara conflict?
The UN is ending its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory after the US and Russia blocked its extension.

