Morocco continues cooperation with UN despite Polisario shilly-shallying

Morocco continues to back and cooperate with the Minurso (Acronym in French for U.N. mission for the referendum in the Sahara), despite the obstacles erected by the Polisario to hamper the U.N. settlement plan in the Sahara, Morocco's permanent representative to the U.N. said.

"If we had not believed in this referendum that we have been expecting since 1988, we would have thrown in the (towel) a long time ago," Ahmed Snoussi said.

The diplomat added that Morocco replied to the latest proposals made by U.N. secretary-general, Kofi Annan, to relaunch the referendum process in the Sahara.

"We made our remarks and amendments, and we are expecting a phone call to tell us: we are ready to discuss with you such or such item," he said.

Annan is proposing his own arbitration to settle the issue of 65,000 Sahrawis, belonging to contested tribes, that the Polisario refuses to identify as would-be voters in the referendum.

The U.N. has so far identified 147,000 applicants wishing to take part in the referendum, the identification was completed, except for the contested tribes H41, H61 and J51/52 (groups that fled the Spanish occupation).

Ahmed Snoussi underlined that Morocco's affirms the right of the tribal groups to be identified and includes certain conditions for appeals and convocation of voters.

"We have pointed to some items that were not completely conforming to the settlement plan and I think that this will be the topic of frank discussions with the secretariat general to find grounds of agreement," he added.