Morocco renews commitment to fair and lasting political settlement to Sahara conflict
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 7/17/2002

Morocco has renewed commitment to negotiate "a fair and lasting political settlement" to the Sahara issue on the basis of the UN draft framework agreement.

In a letter sent to the chairman of the UN Security Council, Morocco's permanent delegate to the world body, Mohamed Bennouna, says Morocco is still committed for a political fair and lasting solution to this regional dispute, created artificially to counteract Morocco's legitimate territorial integrity rights.

The Moroccan delegate said Morocco had accepted to negotiate the draft framework agreement, mooted by the UN secretary general personal envoy, James Baker, underscoring the framework agreement builds on the need to reach "a political compromise" by delegating large prerogatives to the concerned population under Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces.

The letter, sent as the Security Council is projecting to examine the extension of the term of MINURSO (French acronym for the UN mission supervising the holding of a referendum in the Sahara), recalls that unlike Morocco, which accepted to negotiate on the basis of the draft framework agreement, submitted in June 2001, Algeria and the Polisario disregarded the UN security council resolution 1359 and refused the principle of negotiations. They even put forward the idea of partitioning the territory that bears dangers for the stability of the whole Maghreb region, in an evident attempt to hinder the political solution process.

The letter sees that the Security Council will have to decide between granting Baker a clear mandate to carry on his political mediation, started with the draft framework agreement, or the statu-quo with all the risks it entails.

Morocco hopes that the Council will encourage the continuation of the political solution initiatives, started by Baker in June 2001, to settled the regional conflict on the Sahara and open the way for the Maghreban regional construction, the letter says.

Previous Stories:
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  Moroccan FM calls Algeria to end ordeal of Moroccans detained on its territory   (7/10/2002)
  101 Moroccans detained in Algeria return back home   (7/9/2002)

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