What’s the future of the Western Sahara conflict?

The United Nations ends its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory. 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. Since 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.