The Polisario Front assures that the resolution is a “very clear message” that Morocco prevents the visit of OHCHR to the Sahara
MADRID 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations Security Council approved this Thursday a resolution to renew for another year, until October 31, 2025, the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The resolution has been adopted by 12 votes in favor, zero against and two abstentions, Russia and Mozambique. Algeria had presented two amendments on Human Rights in Western Sahara that were finally rejected by the Council.
Specifically, the text emphasizes the need to achieve a realistic, viable, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the question of Western Sahara”, while also expressing “its full support” to the Secretary General, António Guterres, and his envoy, Staffan de Mistura “to facilitate the negotiation process.”
Furthermore, it calls on the parties “to resume negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary General without preconditions and in good faith” while reiterating its call “to cooperate fully with MINURSO” and improve cooperation with the High Commissioner for United Nations for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Algeria’s representative to the UN, Amar Bendjama, explained before the vote that the first amendment referred to the report of the United Nations special envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, who is not named in the resolution.
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has not been able to visit Western Sahara for the ninth consecutive year. Despite multiple requests, official requests, and despite resolution 2703,” Bendjama read regarding the report, published on last October 1st.
Likewise, the second amendment referred to the lack of “a monitoring component of the Human Rights situation” in the Sahara, taking into account that “all peacekeeping operations” have this narrative. “I wonder what the risk is for our Council that we are going to be accused of double standards,” he added.
REACTION OF THE POLISARIO FRONT
Later, the Polisario Front indicated in a statement that the resolution is a “very clear message” that Morocco, “with the silence of the Security Council”, has been preventing the OHCHR from visiting Western Sahara.
In this sense, he assured that Morocco “has opposed any international monitoring in occupied Western Sahara for fear that the world will learn of the atrocious crimes and Human Rights violations committed by the occupying state against the Sahrawi people.”
“Given that MINURSO continues to lack a mandate to monitor and protect Human Rights in occupied Western Sahara, the Polisario Front once again urges the Security Council to operationalize the legal and moral responsibility of the United Nations towards the Sahrawi people,” has stressed, adding that for this an “independent, impartial, broad and sustained” mechanism must be established.
“The continued failure of the Security Council to hold Morocco, the occupying state, accountable for its material breach of the 1991 ceasefire not only amounts to condoning impunity and lack of accountability, but also undermines the trust of the people Saharawi and the Polisario Front in the United Nations and in its peace process in Western Sahara,” he added.
Finally, he has stated “strongly that he will not participate in any peace process that is not supported by the resolutions of the UN Security Council.” “The Polisario Front reiterates its categorical rejection of any “proposal”, regardless of its origin,” it concluded.
De Mistura proposed in the Security Council a “partition” into two territories, in such a way that Morocco retains control of the northern area and the south becomes considered an independent country. This “commitment” would allow, on the one hand, Rabat to apply the autonomy plan, formulated in 2007, and, on the other, “it would guarantee the right of self-determination of the population of Western Sahara.”
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco in 1975 despite the resistance of 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. The differences over the preparation of the census and the inclusion or not of Moroccan settlers have prevented it from being called so far.
The last setback for the Sahrawi people was the support of the Spanish and French governments for the Moroccan autonomy plan, a change of position described as betrayal by the Polisario, which also recalls that Spain is still ‘de jure’ the administrative power of Western Sahara. .
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