Severe heat wave with temperatures reaching 41°C dominates weather forecasts across the region, while de Mistura conducts negotiations with Sahrawi representatives. Meanwhile, oil and gas infrastructure development continues in Western Sahara operations.
Western Sahara is a disputed, UN-designated non-self-governing territory in northwest Africa, often called 'Africa's last colony.' The bulk of the territory is controlled and administered by Morocco, which claims it as its Southern Provinces, while the Polisario Front—backed historically by Algeria—proclaims the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and controls a sparse eastern strip behind a Moroccan-built defensive berm. The status remains unresolved: a long-promised UN referendum on self-determination has never been held, and the territory is a core fault line in Morocco–Algeria rivalry and a recurring item on the UN Security Council agenda (MINURSO peacekeeping mission). News readers should note that international recognition is split, with some states backing Moroccan sovereignty or autonomy proposals and others recognizing the SADR or supporting Sahrawi self-determination.