Annan recommends extension of UN mission in Sahara mandate

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended Thursday to the UN security council to extend for an additional three months the mandate of MINURSO, UN mission supervising the holding of a referendum in the Moroccan southern provinces.

In his report to the UN Security Council, Annan said the extension would help complete identification operations, make an overall assessment of measures taken to ensure the success of the appeals procedure, prepare for the repatriation of refugees and take arrangements for the transition period.

The report also deals with new important facts which have happened in the last 45 days, including the enforcement of various aspects of the settlement plan mainly the resuming of the identification operation, the launching of the appeals procedure and the conclusion of pending agreements.

Regarding the identification and appeals operations, Annan wrote that as at September 3, 1999, a total of 47,796 appeals have been received by the MINURSO and 14,750 applicants had accessed their identification files. Most appeals received up to now (40,440) were against non-inclusion in the first part of the provisional lists of persons entitled to vote.

To date, the report went on, 7,356 appeals challenging another person's inclusion in the provisional lists have been received under the appeals procedure.

On other aspects of the settlement plan, Annan's report notes that to date, 26,429 refugees (3,701 families) have been pre-registered in the Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria).

However, the report points out, given the delays which have occurred in the identification operations, I am not in a position to submit to the Security Council a revised timetable and financial implications, including recommendations that the council authorizes preparations for the full deployment of MINURSO. I believe that it should be possible to do so early in December 1999, if present efforts are maintained.