Senior delegations from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front met in Madrid this week for talks on Western Sahara, facilitated by the United States and the United Nations, Bloomberg reported. The discussions focused on implementing a recent UN Security Council resolution concerning the disputed territory.

Western Sahara, roughly the size of the United Kingdom, has been contested since Spain withdrew in 1975. Morocco annexed the territory, sparking a 16-year conflict with the Polisario Front, which sought independence, that resulted in approximately 9,000 deaths. A ceasefire held for over three decades collapsed in late 2020, with intermittent violence raising concerns of renewed conflict.

The US mission to the UN provided no details on progress from the Madrid meetings. Morocco maintains its claim over the territory, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front. Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria were severed in 2021 amid tensions over Western Sahara and Morocco’s recognition of Israel.

The talks follow recent visits to Algeria by Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s regional envoy. Efforts to resolve the dispute have gained momentum after the UN indicated it might accept Morocco’s plan to administer the territory under limited autonomy, a proposal that could sidestep a referendum long sought by Algeria and the Polisario Front.