Western Sahara: UN should assume its responsibility


Boujdour (Refugee Camps), 2015 (SPS), March 28, 2015 (SPS) - The United Nations should assume its responsibility by forcing "the recalcitrant party (Morocco) to abide by Western Sahara decolonization in accordance of the international law," said Friday the Sahrawi coordinator with MINURSO (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), M'hamed Kheddad.

"Saying, today, that a phone call between the UN Secretary General of the King of Morocco is more important than the Security Council's resolutions is scandalous. Western Sahara will not accept this," said Kheddad on the occasion of the visit of the UN Secretary General's special envoy Christopher Ross to the Sahrawi refugee camps.

He said that Ban Ki-moon's envoy "is working for the resumption of talks between the Polisario Front and Morocco."

The UN Secretary General urged in 2014 for a deadline for the resumption of talks, recalled the Sahrawi official, adding that Morocco's constant attempts to stall the talks process must no longer continue.

In this regard, he urged the UN to "assume its responsibility and not to accept the fait accompli imposed by Morocco."

As regards the mission of Christopher Ross, Kheddad said that the UN special envoy "knows perfectly well the origin of the conflict."

"Unfortunately, it is not up to him alone to decide. There are also the Secretary General and the Security Council," he deplored.

Few days ahead of the UN Security Council's meeting on Western Sahara, Kheddad underlined that the Sahrawi people are waiting for a "strong sign" from the UN to "break the deadlock in the situation."

"The Security Council should fully assume its responsibility and set deadlines for the talks process," he insisted. (SPS)