The U.N. envoy to Western Sahara is suggesting that dividing the territory between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front could be one way to settle the decades-long conflict.

The UN envoy to Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, proposed dividing the disputed territory between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front as a potential solution to the long-running conflict.

The long-frozen conflict, dating back to 1975, pits Morocco, which considers Western Sahara its own territory, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front independence movement, which seeks a separate state there.

Generals Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has suggested splitting the Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario as a potential solution to the territorial conflict, according to remarks reported by Reuters.