Summary:

On 21 October 2025, the Polisario Front submitted an “expanded proposal” to UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara conflict. While the full text has not been publicly released, the Polisario stated that the proposal is based on Sahrawi self-determination and the restoration of regional peace and stability. 

The document emphasized the Polisario’s willingness to “share the costs of peace” with Morocco if the kingdom shows political will, aiming for a just, peaceful, and lasting solution. President Brahim Ghali reiterated the Front’s readiness to engage in direct and serious negotiations with Morocco. Ghali further indicated his side would negotiate with Moroccan good faith and without preconditions, under UN auspices, guided by the content of the expanded proposal. 

The proposal from the Polisario Front comes amid heightened tensions in the Tindouf camps, following the recent circulation of a US-backed draft UN resolution reaffirming Morocco’s autonomy plan, which has intensified internal debates within the Polisario. 

Outlook: 

The expanded proposal signals the Polisario’s intent to remain diplomatically active at the UN level and to push for recognition of self-determination, even as Morocco continues to secure international backing from numerous individual states for its sovereignty over Western Sahara. 

For Morocco, the emphasis on self-determination conflicts with its autonomy framework, which remains the cornerstone of Rabat’s international strategy. 

While largely symbolic, the proposal may serve to maintain Polisario visibility amid UN deliberations and internal pressures. Meanwhile, Morocco can leverage the situation to highlight the divergence between its framework and the Polisario’s positions, as well as internal divisions within the separatist movement. 

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