Morocco achieved another extension of MINURSO mission in the Sahara

Another triumph for diplomacy, the government and the Moroccan King. Another frustration for the Polisario Front, the Algerian government and many nongovernmental organizations. The Security Council UN has finally decided by consensus and unanimity of its 15 members, to extend for another year the mandate of The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) activities.

The final discussion and vote of the 15 permanent members of the Security Council of United Nations had adjourned until Tuesday, to take account of the latest report recommended by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki -Moon on 10 April, and suggestions raised by the U.S. and endorsed by the countries forming the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, (United States, Russia, France, UK and Spain). But this time the previous days and weeks had passed more calmly than in the past although not very different strategies of the parties involved.

Morocco has not wasted the opportunity to publish these days the interest of some dissident families settle outside Tindouf Polisario camp located on Algerian territory and with their support. And several non-governmental organizations and observers have tried in recent days to visit the Western Sahara and the border area as monitored with the unstated aim of causing nervousness in Morocco, its rejection and pressure from some media headlines. All according to plan.

The vote of Council resolution 2152 has not surprises in store. We saw it coming. Last year at this same dilemma, and several humanitarian organizations to the United States had tried to include in the mandate of MINURSO, besides the control of arms and a ceasefire in effect since 1991, some kind of surveillance on complex situation of human rights in the Sahara. That attempt resulted in a major upset in Morocco, which was then a non-permanent member of the Council.

King Mohamed VI visited the White House in November and talked about all this with U.S. President Barak Obama. At the same time, the Alawite monarch promised and promoted a series of new measures in the country, such as the Council for the Rights of Man and the end of military trials for civilians, which have been welcomed by the United States, the UN and other examiners countries. Also replaced the Moroccan ambassador to the United Nations to facilitate the negotiation.

The Ban Ki -Moon himself praised those improvements in its report of April 10, while maintaining monitored advocated “sustainable, independent and impartial ” way to respect human rights in the Sahara, but demanded to be applied in a form ” full and fast”. These expressions one point vindictive Ban Ki -moon has also been viewed with magnifying glass in Rabat. The King expressed his fear that kind of ” dangerous options.”

Several diplomatic experts on the issue have concluded, however, that these improvements have been precisely determined promised that the observed change in the UN regarding the functions of the MINURSO analyzed just a year ago. And they have found that now, more than push for such a difficult goal, prefer to focus on launching a clear message of unity to Morocco go ahead that way. France traditionally supports the positions of Morocco and fears, especially that provoke claim by the Moroccan government ‘s request for a final withdrawal of MINURSO in the area.

In fact, now agreed on the new resolution explicitly mention that the parties must work with the international community to implement credible and independent measures to ensure full respect for human rights both in the Tindouf camps and the Western Sahara is as well as freedom of expression and association.

The bottom line, is who owns the Sahara and its million inhabitants since they were colonized by Spain in 1975, is still a much trickier problem and will be pending for an uncertain future. While Morocco proposes an autonomy plan for the region and official sources have told El Pais that ” any other option is literally impossible not happen and no one will spoil in Morocco, because no one will take the Moroccans of land that is yours and which have made so many investments and progress in recent years. “

The Polisario Front and Algeria calling for a referendum. Mediation efforts by the UN have failed virtually nothing over the years. In recent months and weeks, the special envoy, Christopher Ross, has toured throughout the region, which included Spain, to weigh all options again with no progress. Before this paralysis, Ban Ki -moon has warned that in October convened a special session of the Security Council to assess the negotiations between the conflicting parties. It has also reinforced the provision of the current mission MINURSO with 15 military observers.

After the vote, the Moroccan ambassador to the UN, Hilale Omar, said his country is ” very satisfied” with the contents of the resolution and thanked the members of the Security Council “understanding ” with the ” complexity” of the issue and ” regional, political and security implications,” reports EFE. Hilale also argued that MINURSO is the only UN mission that does not monitor the situation of human rights in the territory assigned to it. Several humanitarian organizations such as the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights or Human Rights Watch, have questioned this behavior UN to bow to the interests and demands of Morocco.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=43457

Posted by Abdul Basit Abbasi on May 1 2014. Filed under Africa, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.