Rebels seeking independence for Western Sahara warned Thursday, March 17 that "the shortest way to the resumption of war" is if the UN ends its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory — and they say that's Morocco's aim, the Associated Press reports.

The Polisario Front's UN representative, Ahmed Boukhari, spoke to reporters after Morocco ordered 84 international staff in the peacekeeping mission to leave within three days and reiterated the country's termination of $3 million in funding for the UN operation, to protest recent remarks by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Boukhari told reporters that the UN Security Council must defend the UN presence in Western Sahara.

"If there is no mission, there is a vacuum and an invitation to war," he said.

Morocco considers Western Sahara its "southern provinces" and has offered the region autonomy, but the Polisario Front insists on self-determination through a referendum for the local population.

The Security Council met behind closed doors Thursday afternoon to hear a briefing from UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman and discuss Morocco's actions, AP says.

Angola's UN Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, the current council president, signaled deep divisions in the U.N.'s most powerful body, briefly telling reporters afterward that the council "expressed serious concerns" and decided that the 15 members should engage with Morocco "to make sure that the situation is stabilized."