Why a US-Russia showdown left Morocco celebrating

The fear is that Minurso's departure could lead to renewed fighting.

The mission has monitored military developments and helped reduce the risk of escalation.

Aid organisation Oxfam warned that losing its monitoring and de-escalation role could undermine stability, with serious consequences for civilians.

Laaroussi admits that the mission's departure could create security gaps.

"Minurso's departure does not create the original conflict, because the conflict is already there, but it could aggravate an already fragile security environment," he says.

The UN decision has also fuelled nationalist rhetoric online.

Several Moroccan users have shared AI-generated images of themselves in military uniform, declaring their readiness to fight for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.