MINURSO is a UN peacekeeping mission, established in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire and to organize and conduct a referendum which would enable the people of Western Sahara to choose between integration with Morocco and independence.

The name is a French acronym. It stands for "Mission des Nations unies pour l'organisation d'un référendum au Sahara occidental" - United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

Personnel comprises ca. 500 people, including local staff. The UN considers reduction.

See also

• Politics of Western Sahara

External links

• Official UN MINURSO page (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minurso/)
• UN Resolution 1541:
  • on UN site, with background info (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8077.doc.htm)
  • on Wikisource (http://sources.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Security_Council_Resolution_1541)