Talks failed between Morocco and Polesario
Morocco, Politics, 9/29/2000

The representative of the " Polesario" front in Germany Jamal Zekri announced on Thursday evening that the front does not want to negotiate with the government of Morocco, only in the framework of the UN plan.

Zekri's statement came after the two delegations representing Morocco and the Polesario departed without achieving any progress in the close-door direct negotiations which lasted for one day in Berlin under the auspices of the UN.

He added " we have not achieved any progress because Morocco refuses any referendum," adding that the two delegations parted before the arrival of the special representative of the UN secretary general, former US secretary general James Baker expected to arrive today.

On the Moroccan side, the meeting was attended by the foreign minister Muhammad Bin Issa besides representatives for Algeria, Mauritania as observers.

This is however, the third meeting between the government of Morocco and the " Polesario" since last spring.

By the end of October 1999, the two sides agreed to resume discussions in the peace plan proposed by the UN to organize a referendum over deciding the fate of the Western Sahara over whether to be kept within Morocco or maintaining its independence from it.

But the main disputes still exists over defining the identity of the voters who take part in the referendum.

Previous Stories:
  Meeting on Sahara opens in Berlin   (9/28/2000)
  Sahara issue meeting today decisive   (9/28/2000)
  For Morocco, Sahara is no longer decolonization issue   (9/26/2000)

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