Morocco is waiting for UNO response to remarks over Sahara settlement plan
Morocco, Politics, 3/19/1999

Morocco is still waiting for the United Nations response to the remarks it made to the secretary general regarding some aspects related to the projected referendum in the Sahara, said Khalid Alioua, spokesman of the Moroccan government.

Alioua, who is also minister of social development, solidarity, employment and vocational training, said at a press briefing following the government's weekly meeting that the secretary general is supposed to submit a report to the security council this March 22.

He explained that Morocco has sent its remarks to the UN secretary general regarding the issue of the 65,000 persons (of Sahrawi descent) who should be identified in order to vote in the UN-projected referendum and the issue of appeals by those who were not identified.

He added we hope that the security council would support this orientation. The ball is now in the United Nations court, he said.

Meanwhile, Moroccan prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, expressed confidence that the UN secretary general and security council would see to the implementation of the settlement plan and would guarantee to all Moroccans descending from the southern provinces the right to participate in the voting.

The prime minister renewed in an interview with "the Voice of America" radio station Morocco's adherence to the integral implementation of the UN plan and expressed the wish that the UN would draw up genuine voters lists free of any maneuvers by the other party to obstruct the operation.

According to Morocco's delegate to the U.N Ahmed Snoussi, negotiations between Morocco and Kofi Annan, on activating the referendum process in the Sahara will end in "the coming days, i.e. before March 22."

The Moroccan diplomat told Arab daily "Asharq Al Awsat" that negotiations on latest proposals made by the UN secretary general would be over before March 22, date when Annan is supposed to submit a new report to the security council.

Snoussi said Morocco has presented to the world body amendments that it deems necessary to the proposals made by Annan during his trip to North Africa, so that the proposals remain conform to the U.N settlement plan.

Morocco's proposals are based on the need to enable 65,000 persons of Sahrawi descent to enjoy the right to be identified as potential voters in the U.N-sponsored referendum, he said.

The referendum would determine whether the Sahara, a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975, would remain within Morocco or stand on its own, as requested by the Algeria-backed Polisario.

The Moroccan diplomat added that Morocco also required that Sahrawi applicants be granted the right to file appeals in case their eligibility to be registered in the voters list is rejected.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan diplomat says negotiations with UN would end by March 22   (3/18/1999)
  Participants in Arab Nationalist Congress in Beirut back Morocco's territorial integrity   (3/18/1999)
  Morocco and Tunisia for revival of Arab Maghreb Union   (3/17/1999)

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