Morocco rejects 'erroneous' interpretation of UN resolution on Sahara
Morocco-UN, Politics, 10/23/2003

Morocco has rejected as "erroneous" the interpretation of the United Nations Security Council's Resolution on the Moroccan Sahara issue as contained in the recent report of UN Secretary general, as well as any attempt to impose a solution in the dispute without the agreement of the involved parties.

This came in a letter addressed on Tuesday, by Morocco's representative to the UN, Mohamed Bennouna, to the chairman of the Security Council, American Ambassador John D. Negroponte, prior to the debate on the Sahara issue set for next Monday.

In his letter, Bennouna drew Negroponte's attention to the "erroneous interpretation" of this resolution that clearly paves the way for "the quest of a political solution to the conflict." Bennouna insists on the "mediator or facilitator" role that the UN secretary general's personal envoy for the Sahara has to play in the interest of peace and stability in the (North African) region.

He called on the Security council to "assume its responsibilities by putting an end to this dangerous deviation" that puts at risk efforts for a settlement of the dispute that has been lasting since 1975 when Morocco retrieved its southern provinces under an agreement with Spain, the former occupying authority. The Security Council, he said, should also help the parties (Morocco, the separatist movement Polisario and its Algerian backers) reach a "mutually acceptable" solution that must not be imposed as suggested by the UN chief's report.

The Moroccan diplomat reminded that the Security council had set as a condition to its support to Baker's plan, the "parties' agreement," that is why, he explained, it is "erroneous" to deduce from the said resolution that it is "expected from Morocco a pure and simple signature" of the personal envoy's report and "concrete measures" as early as January 2004 for "the implementation of the peace plan" while negotiations by the Security Council haven't yet begun.

It is in this respect, said the Moroccan diplomat, that Morocco dispatched, last September, a delegation to discuss with Baker resolution 1495 and the prospects for reaching a mutually acceptable solution.

The Moroccan diplomat, while insisting on the respect of this resolution, has called for discussions between the parties and with the personal envoy who "can play a precious role as a mediator" not as an involved party to these negotiations which he should "facilitate in the interest of peace and stability of the Maghreb Region."

Baker's peace plan, in its latest version, calls for a self-determination referendum to be organized in the Sahara after a four to five-year transition period during which this territory would be run by a semi-autonomous government.

Morocco assert that the Sahrawis who have always considered themselves as Moroccans as those in the rest of the country, have already chosen integration with the Kingdom, a fact that the Algerian backed separatist movement "Polisario" has been opposing ever since.

Previous Stories:
  EU's new neighborhood policy is no alternative to Euro-Mediterranean process, official   (10/22/2003)
  Moroccan political parties reject UN referendum proposal for Sahara as serious escalation   (10/22/2003)
  UN, EU urged to act for immediate release of Moroccan captives in tindouf   (10/21/2003)

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