UN Secretary General expected in Morocco shortly, UN official says

Secretary general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, is expected shortly in Morocco as part of a tour of North Africa, said UN assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Bernard Miyet.

Miyet, who toured the region last week, told Tangiers-based "Medi 1" radio station that Morocco will be the first leg of the UN chief's tour to "show his interest in the region and its stability."

Miyet said his trip to Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco was made at the request of the UN secretary general and his special envoy for the Sahara, James Baker, in order to submit Annan's proposals to make the peace process in the Sahara move forward.

He said his talks were "direct, open, frank and always cordial" and the UN secretary general's approach was well understood. He hoped that this approach will make it possible to submit to the UN security council next week a report that will push the process forward.

Miyet who was accompanied by the UN secretary general's special representative for the Sahara, Charles Dunbar, visited last week Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco where he met with interior minister, Driss Basri.

Annan's upcoming report to the Security Council depends on Miyet's mission in the region, as the mandate of the MINURSO (acronym in French for the UN mission for the referendum in the Sahara) expires this October 31.

The MINURSO's identification commission still has to convoke hundreds of applicants living abroad, identify members of contested tribes and examine appeals by those who already appeared before the commission which had offices in Tindouf (stronghold of the Polisario in southwestern Algeria), Morocco and Mauritania.

The MINURSO, which supervises a cease-fire in force since September 1991, comprises 203 military observers, 10 staff officers, 248 troopers and 80 civilian police observers.