UNITED NATIONS, United States, April 15, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations envoy for the Western Sahara on Monday called on the Security Council to capitalize on what he called momentum toward resolving the long-standing conflict in the territory.

During a closed-door meeting of the Council, envoy Staffan de Mistura said the next three months will be an opportunity to "produce a regional de-escalation and separately, a reenergized roadmap towards the resolution of the Western Sahara conflict."

The Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria.

De Mistura pointed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot's recent visit to Algeria and meeting with senior officials, easing tension sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's stated support for the idea of giving the Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

But fresh tensions have emerged since that meeting.

On Monday, Algeria reaffirmed the expulsion of 12 French officials, after an Algerian consular official was arrested in France recently.

The United Nations considers Western Sahara to be a "non-self-governing territory" and has had a peacekeeping mission there since 1991, whose stated aim is to organize a referendum on the territory's future.

President Donald Trump, during his first term in office, in 2020 recognized Morocco's claim to the vast desert territory after the kingdom normalized relations with Israel -- achieving top diplomatic objectives for Rabat and Washington, respectively.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that view in a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, saying the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

The meeting drew an Algerian rebuke.

Algiers cut off diplomatic relations with Rabat in 2021.