The UN calls the “speculations” about the possible resignation of the envoy to Western Sahara “completely false”

May 23. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The United Nations has described as “completely false” speculation about the possible resignation of the UN Secretary General’s envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura,

“We have received some questions about our friend Staffan de Mistura, personal envoy for Western Sahara, and the speculation that we have seen in some media that he would be considering resigning. I want to say that they are speculation and, in fact, completely false,” said the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric.

Thus, he stressed that De Mistura “is planning to maintain and intensify his exchanges with all those involved and with international support in different formats, including regional regions and bilateral opportunities.” “De Mistura appreciates the support of the members of the Security Council (of the UN), as well as the Group of Friends for Western Sahara, as has been seen recently in their meetings in New York”, he stressed.

Dujarric has thus come out of the way of the information that has emerged in recent days in the Moroccan media about the possibility that De Mistura will leave the position, which he has held since November 1, 2021, when he replaced Horst Koehler in the position, who resigned in 2019 citing health reasons.

The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco in 1975 despite resistance from the Polisario Front, with whom it remained at war until 1991, when both parties signed a ceasefire with a view to holding a self-determination referendum, but the differences on the elaboration of the census and the inclusion or not of the Moroccan settlers have prevented its call up to now.

On November 14, 2020, the Polisario Front declared the ceasefire with Morocco broken in response to a Moroccan military action against Saharawi activists in Guerguerat, in the agreed demilitarized zone, which meant for the Saharawis a violation of the conditions of the Stop the fire.

The latest setback for the Saharawis has been the Spanish government’s support for the Moroccan autonomy plan made public on March 18, 2022 in a letter addressed to the Moroccan King, Mohamed VI, a change of position described as treason by the Polisario Front, which remember that Spain is still ‘de jure’ the administrative power of the territory.