UN chief urges Morocco and Polisario to continue cooperation to complete identification process
Morocco-UN, Politics, 10/30/1999

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a new report to the Security Council, urged Morocco and the Polisario to carry on cooperation for the identification of three contested tribes to complete the operation in due time, i.e. December 1999.

The document that describes new facts in the referendum's preparations says the deadline for submitting appeals by would-be voters has expired and that applications were numerous.

Indeed, it says, the number of appeals, more than 79,000, corresponds almost exactly to the number of persons who were not registered in the first part of the provisional voters list made public last July 15. In these conditions, Annan wrote, it is most likely that the appeals process would be a long one and that almost all applicants who were not admitted initially would take part in addition to those whose inclusion in the voters list was turned down.

The UN chief also believes that arrangements regarding the implementation of the appeals procedure, the needed human and financial resources and other needs would be determined according to the analysis conducted by MINURSO (French acronym for the UN mission supervising the referendum in the Sahara), on the admissibility of applicants' appeals.

He also announced that he has asked his special representative for the Sahara, William Eagleton, to conduct new talks with the two sides so as to make "a realistic assessment" of arrangements needed for the months to come, including the costs.

The report further announced that the MINURSO and the Moroccan authorities signed this October 26 an agreement on the status of forces regarding the arms to be held by the MINURSO forces.

Annan regrets that the UNHCR action plan on confidence-building measures has not yet been implemented after it was presented to the security council in June 1999 and discussions held with the parties.

Consequently, he called the two sides to fully cooperate with the UN mission and the HCR to start immediately the confidence-building measures that were accepted in principle by the two sides.

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed praises china's impartial stand in Sahara issue   (10/29/1999)
  Jordanian Senate speaker meets Youssoufi and Essaid   (10/27/1999)
  Morocco is not responsible for referendum delay, minister says   (10/26/1999)

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