Western SaharaKey figures
Who is fighting
Morocco
- Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (Southern Zone)
- United States
- France
- Spain
- Israel (drones, reported)
- United Arab Emirates
Polisario Front / Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- Sahrawi People's Liberation Army
- Algeria (host, funding and arms)
- South Africa (diplomatic)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Spain withdrew from Western Sahara in 1975 and Morocco annexed most of the territory, prompting a 16-year war with the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and operates from refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria. A 1991 UN ceasefire and the MINURSO mission were meant to lead to a referendum that never happened. In November 2020 Morocco moved into the Guerguerat buffer zone and the Polisario declared the ceasefire over, resuming low-level attacks; Morocco responded with armed drones (including Turkish Bayraktar and Akinci types) that have killed dozens of fighters, civilians and traders in the Polisario-controlled strip and in Mauritania's border areas.
The diplomatic balance has tilted toward Rabat: the United States recognised Moroccan sovereignty in 2020, Spain (2022) and France (2024) backed the autonomy plan, and in October 2025 UN Security Council resolution 2797 framed negotiations around it. Secret US-brokered talks under envoy Massad Boulos in early 2026 produced nothing. On 5 May 2026 Polisario rockets landed near Smara, injuring a civilian; the EU, France and the US condemned the attack. On 7 June a Moroccan drone strike killed commander Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, son of the former Sahrawi president, and two others. The Polisario restricts MINURSO patrols east of the berm and has attacked UN envoy Staffan de Mistura's handling of the file ahead of the October 2026 mandate renewal.
Recent developments
- 15 October 2026Polisario rejects 'half-solutions' and criticises UN envoy de Mistura ahead of the Security Council's MINURSO review; the UN Secretary-General's report records the Smara shelling as the only attack on a civilian since resolution 2797. source ↗
- 9 June 2026Moroccan drone strike on a Polisario military vehicle kills three, including the son of former Sahrawi president Mohamed Abdelaziz. source ↗
- 8 May 2026Polisario claims 'focused shelling' of Moroccan rear bases on the outskirts of Smara; the UN urges a return to the ceasefire. source ↗
Timeline
- 6 November 1975Morocco's Green March; Spain withdraws and war with the Polisario begins.
- 6 September 1991UN-brokered ceasefire; MINURSO deploys to organise a referendum that is never held.
- 13 November 2020Morocco enters the Guerguerat buffer zone; the Polisario declares the ceasefire over.
- 10 December 2020United States recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
- 30 July 2024France endorses Moroccan autonomy as the only basis for a solution.
- 31 October 2025UN Security Council resolution 2797 backs negotiations based on Morocco's autonomy proposal.
- 5 May 2026Polisario rockets land near Smara, injuring a civilian; EU, France and US condemn the attack.
- 7 June 2026Moroccan drone strike kills Polisario commander Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz and two others.
- 31 October 2026MINURSO mandate due for renewal by the Security Council.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 120 | – | At least 120 killed by Moroccan drone strikes from November 2020 to November 2024 (El Independiente), mostly Sahrawi and Mauritanian civilians; plus at least 6 Moroccan and 12 Polisario soldiers killed in early fighting. The 1975-1991 war killed thousands. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | 18 | – | At least 6 Moroccan and 12 Polisario soldiers (2020-2021 counts) plus Polisario fighters killed in later drone strikes, including three in June 2026. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | – | – | Most of the 120+ drone-strike victims are described as civilians (traders, gold prospectors); no separate count. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Wounded | 1 | – | One Moroccan civilian injured by Polisario shelling near Smara, May 2026 (UN Secretary-General report). northafricapost.com ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 3 | – | Three Polisario members killed in a Moroccan drone strike on 7 June 2026; other strikes and shelling in the period are reported without confirmed deaths. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | – | – | No conflict-related displacement reported since 2020. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | 90,000 | 173,000 | Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf camps, Algeria: UNHCR plans on ~90,000 'most vulnerable'; Algeria and the Polisario cite up to 173,600. Long-standing, not caused by the 2020 phase. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
Intensity classification: Below the 25-death threshold in the last 12 months on available evidence (a Moroccan drone strike killed a Polisario commander and two others in June 2026; Polisario shelling near Smara in May injured one civilian). Included as a frozen conflict of major public interest. At least 120 people, mostly Sahrawi and Mauritanian civilians, were killed by Moroccan drones between 2020 and November 2024..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Western Sahara conflict (Morocco vs Polisario Front)?
Morocco (Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (Southern Zone)), supported by United States, France, Spain, Israel (drones, reported); against Polisario Front / Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Sahrawi People's Liberation Army), supported by Algeria (host, funding and arms), South Africa (diplomatic).
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 120+ killed as of 9 June 2026. At least 120 killed by Moroccan drone strikes from November 2020 to November 2024 (El Independiente), mostly Sahrawi and Mauritanian civilians; plus at least 6 Moroccan and 12 Polisario soldiers killed in early fighting. The 1975-1991 war killed thousands. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Western Sahara conflict (Morocco vs Polisario Front) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Low intensity — Morocco controls about 80% of Western Sahara behind a 2,700 km sand berm; the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which ended the 1991 ceasefire in November 2020, conducts sporadic shelling of Moroccan positions and occasionally of Smara, while Morocco answers with drone strikes east of the berm. Diplomacy has shifted decisively toward Morocco's autonomy plan, endorsed by UN Security Council resolution 2797 (October 2025) and by the US, France and Spain; US-brokered talks stalled in 2026, Polisario rocket fire near Smara in May drew unprecedented Western condemnation, and the MINURSO mandate comes up for renewal on 31 October 2026.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 13 November 2020, but the underlying conflict dates back to 1975 — 5 years, 11 months ago.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Western Saharan clashes (2020–present) en.wikipedia.org
- African Security Analysis — Western Sahara and the October MINURSO renewal africansecurityanalysis.com
- UN — Western Sahara update (UNifeed) media.un.org
- North Africa Post — Washington discusses Smara attacks with MINURSO northafricapost.com
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Glostats. (2026). Western Sahara conflict: Casualties & Timeline (2026). Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/western-sahara-conflict/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/western-sahara-conflict/">Western Sahara conflict: Casualties & Timeline (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-20. How this tracker works.