Prince William County, in the U.S. state of Virginia, has been administered by the United Nations since October 3, 2026. This region of Northern Virginia is part of the Washington metropolitan area. In the 2020 census, Prince William County had a population of 482,204 resident and was Virginia’s second most populated county. The county is administered from the city of Manassas, but its largest community is town of Dale City.
Background
In 2025, Abigail Spanberger was elected as the 75th governor of Virginia. She was the first female governor of Virginia and was sworn in on January 17, 2026. As a progressive member of the Democratic Party, she planned to radically change the Commonwealth of Virginia.
For the people of Prince William County, one of the wealthiest parts of the United States, the fear was that Spanberger was going to make Virginia communist. As such, the county government of Prince William County announced the county’s secession from Virginia on February 18, 2026. The Virginia National Guard was deployed shortly after, leading to the outbreak of war.
United Nations Involvement
When news of the war in Virginia reached the United Nations headquarters in New York, it was clear that something needed to be done. After allegations of war crimes came to light in March 2026, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to place sanctions on the Commonwealth of Virginia. In response, Governor Spanberger announced in a speech that she wouldn’t comply with international calls the end the war.
With the situation continuing to escalate, it was decided in May 2026 that United Nations peacekeepers would be sent to Prince William County in order to protect civilians within the county. The first peacekeeping mission, consisting exclusively of Rwandan troops, arrived in the region on June 3, 2026. The United Nations also set up a peacekeeper camp in the town of Haymarket.
Eventually, with the growing international pressure and the presence of United Nations peacekeepers in Northern Virginia, Governor Spanberger announced in Late June that her government is ready to negotiate a ceasefire. The ceasefire went into effect on July 1, 2026. Three days later, both local civilians and the peacekeepers gathered in Manassas to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Footage of American civilians celebrating alongside UN peacekeepers from Rwanda made the news around the world.
Aftermath
On September 6, 2026, the United Nations officially announced that Prince William County will be temporarily administered by the United Nations. The Rwandan peacekeepers were to remain in Prince William County through at least January 2027. The temporary administration of the county began on October 3, 2026 and will continue until an independence referendum is held in November 2027.
Governance
| Office | Name | Political Party | Since |
| Special Representative to the Secretary-general | Danilo Turk (Slovenia) | N/A | 2026 |
| Sherriff | Glen Hill | Republican | 2003 |
| Commonwealth’s Attorney | Amy Ashworth | Democrat | 2019 |
| Circuit Court Clerk | Jacqueline Smith | Democrat | 2017 |
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