U.N. Western Sahara mission still recovering from Morocco dispute

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A United Nations peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara is still not fully functional, the U.N. Security Council president said on Tuesday, months after Morocco expelled dozens of civilian staff in anger at remarks by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.

During a visit to refugee camps for Sahrawi people in March, Ban described Morocco's 1975 annexation of Western Sahara as an "occupation," sparking the worst dispute between Rabat and the world body since the U.N. brokered a ceasefire to end a war over the disputed region and established the U.N. mission MINURSO.