Morocco denies rejecting Annan's Sahara proposals

Morocco denied having rejected proposals made by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to relaunch the referendum process in the Sahara.

Morocco's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ahmed Snoussi, told the London-based "Asharq Al-Awsat" daily that reports on Morocco's rejection of Annan's proposals are "tendentious." This information was circulated by the enemies of Morocco's territorial integrity, he said.

Ahmed Snoussi recalled that Annan himself said his proposals are under Morocco and the United Nations' scrutiny.

In a previous interview with the same daily, Annan had said that Morocco and the Polisario confirmed their wish to go ahead with the referendum process the U.N. plans to hold in the Sahara in December 1999.

"It is our responsibility to help the two parties to the Sahara issue [Morocco and the Polisario] to reach the path they want to follow," Annan told the London-based daily.

Annan declined to go into detail, "because we are still discussing some aspects with Morocco, and the U.N. officials are still in contact with Moroccan officials."

Ahmed Snoussi said a new meeting might be held with Annan to examine Morocco's response to his proposals.

The Moroccan diplomat insisted that the Sahrawis sequestered in Tindouf (in southwestern Algeria, where the Polisario is headquartered) should be allowed to freely express their will to return to their homeland, Morocco.

Snoussi also underlined the right of all Sahrawis to be identified and participate in the referendum.

It would be illogical to sacrifice the future of thousands of Sahrawis by preventing them from being registered on the voters' lists, he said.

"We have wasted four years and we can wait for another four months to allow the remaining 65,000 Sahrawis to be identified," Snoussi added.