Sahara issue: Morocco can only accept clear cut, unambiguous option
Morocco, Politics, 7/27/2002

Morocco reiterated it accepts to negotiate on the basis of the framework agreement, brokered by UN secretary general's personal envoy for the Sahara James Baker, but cannot participate in any negotiation on unclear ambiguous proposals on the Sahara.

This came in a letter that Morocco's permanent representative to the UN handed over to the President of the Security Council on Thursday.

The Security Council will start consultations on July 26 to adopt a decision on one of the options proposed by the UN Secretary General and his personal envoy last February.

The letter said Morocco wants to recall that it has accepted to negotiate on the basis of the framework agreement pursuant to the recommendation made by the Security Council in its resolution 1359, dated June 29, 2001, while the two other sides, Algeria and the Polisario, have categorically rejected it.

The UN Secretary General had proposed, in a report he presented to the Security Council last February, four options to settle the Sahara issue. These proposals are the implementation of the UN settlement plan (worked out in the early nineties), the revision of the framework agreement brokered by his personal envoy, James baker, and providing for a large autonomy of the Sahara provinces under Moroccan sovereignty, the partitioning of the territory or the end of the mission of the MINURSO.

A draft resolution has been circulated since July 22, 2002, among the Security Council members to clearly mandate James Baker to revise the framework agreement, the letter said adding that Morocco is "still ready to endeavour for the success, in this context, of the personal envoy's mission."

"However, we have just learnt that an amendment to the operational aspect of this text is meant to throw confusion on the mandate through demanding, contrary to the wishes of the UN Secretary General and his personal envoy, that the latter propose a fifth option, mixing option 1 (settlement plan) with option 2 (framework agreement)," states the letter.

"As it proposes to mix two incompatible options, the move is doomed to failure. Actually it can only put at stake the chances to reach in a near future a definitive settlement to the Sahara issue," the letter said, insisting that "Morocco is keen on informing you that it can only participate in a clear-cut and unambiguous exercise."

The Moroccan diplomat asked the Security Council chairman to inform the Council members about the contents of the letter and to publish it as an official document of the Security Council.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco calls on security council to allow for more mediation in sahara issue   (7/24/2002)
  Hungarian national appointed chief of UN sahara mission   (7/24/2002)
  Algeria wants end to Sahara conflict   (7/22/2002)

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