The expiration of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara will further erode any prospects of a referendum on the region's self-determination and likely fuel momentum for Morocco's sovereignty plans; in response to the diplomatic defeat, Algeria-backed Polisario Front militants will likely launch attacks against Moroccan forces in the region, as well as additional legal challenges against the few European companies operating there. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, or MINURSO, expired on Oct. 31 after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) failed to reach an agreement to extend the mission's mandate for another year. On Oct. 30, the UNSC voted on a U.S.-drafted proposal to extend the mission's peacekeeping mandate until April 30, 2027, then transition to a political mission until Oct. 31, 2027.