The Western Sahara conflict is both one of the world’s oldest and one of its most neglected. It started in 1976 by the Moroccan annexation of the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania’s withdrawal. A guerrilla war between the pro-independence Polisario Front, contesting Rabat’s sovereignty and the Kingdom of Morocco ended in a 1991 thanks to the United Nations- sponsored cease-fire. From that time on, the two parties had not exchanged fire but also UN efforts to hold a referendum of self-determination in the territory had been repeatedly postponed. The main point of dispute between Morocco and Polisario concerns the list of Saharawis (inhabitants of Western Sahara) allowed to participate in any future plebiscite. Moreover, intensive mediation efforts by former United States Secretary of State James A. Baker providing for a measure of local autonomy under Moroccan rule, as well as a modified autonomy plan presented to the UN Security Council in May 2003 and finally “Moroccan initiative for negotiating an autonomy statute for the Sahara Region” presented in April 2008 were rejected by either or both sides in conflict. A little progress in resolving this regional stalemate, make a diplomatic solution in Western Sahara all the more unlikely. Whereas, this long-running dispute has the human, economic and political costs for the countries directly involved, the region and the whole international community. The awareness of these aspects of the dispute should contribute to the increase of efforts aimed at resolving Western Sahara issue.