Morocco warns against troubles in Sahara, if UN publishes partial voters lists

The French Le Monde daily quoted a senior Moroccan official as saying that troubles risk to break out in the Sahara, if the United Nations publishes the partial lists of would-be voters in the Sahara.

"trouble will break out in the Sahara, if the U.N. prematurely publishes voters lists, while it has yet to identify other groups," the official, who spoke under cover of anonymity, told the daily.

"Persons who would not be admitted to vote will react," he said.

Under a resolution passed last October, the U.N. security council backed the Minurso's (U.N. mission for the referendum in the Sahara) intention to start publishing the temporary lists of voters as of this December.

Following the adoption of the resolution 1204, the Moroccan mission to the U.N. circulated a release wherein it said that the publishing of the voters' lists is only a proposal that is still under scrutiny like any other proposal forwarded to the parties to settle pending issues.

Morocco strongly opposes the publishing of partial lists, while 65,000 contested Sahrawis are yet to be identified by the Minurso, "Le Monde" wrote.

These are members of Sahrawi tribes that were driven by the systematic repression of Spanish occupiers out of the Sahara.

Morocco strongly defends these tribes' right to be registered as voters in the referendum, while the Polisario opposes their participation.

In order to break the deadlock over this issue, U.N. Secretary-general is currently touring North Africa, proposing his own arbitration to advance the referendum process.

The vote is designed to determine whether the Sahara sets up on its own, as claimed by the Polisario, or be incorporated into Morocco.