Morocco ready for dialogue on final settlement to Sahara issue

Morocco voiced Thursday readiness to start a frank and sincere dialogue to reach a final solution to the Sahara issue, a solution that preserves the Kingdom's fundamental interests in its southern provinces and peace, unity and for the construction of the Maghreb.

The statement was made by Morocco's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohamed Bennouna, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN mission to the Sahara (MINURSO) for a new three-month period.

Morocco is "ready" to start a dialogue to reach a final agreement that is necessary for peace and the construction of the Maghreb to which aspire all the inhabitants in the region, the delegate said.

On the negotiations that preceded the resolution's adoption, the Moroccan diplomat said the initial project that aimed to impose a peace plan was rejected by Morocco since is it contradictory with its fundamental interests, international law and the stand of the majority of the Security Council members that are in favor of a solution mutually accepted by the parties.

Morocco deems that it is arbitrary to impose a text incompatible with the UN Charter and the Security Council's practices, he said, recalling Morocco's drive to contest this method of imposing a peace plan that Morocco had expressly rejected because it is contrary to its most basic national interests.

According to Bennouna, the majority of the Council members opposed the imposition of a solution as they believed that parties should be encouraged to negotiate to reach a mutually acceptable solution. The ambassador asserted that Morocco enjoys a quasi unanimous support in the Council concerning its approach.

He explained that this is the reason why the amendments took place practically at the last minute on the eve of the adoption of the resolution that opened way for discussion, underlining that Morocco has always worked in accordance with law and is ready to discuss with other parties.

About the resolution's humanitarian aspect, Bennouna hailed the paragraph in the resolution that explicitly asks the so-called "Polisario front" (Algeria-backed guerrilla movement that claims the independence of Morocco's southern provinces) to liberate without further delay all the prisoners of war who are still detained.