The Frente POLISARIO denounces Morocco’s lack of political will to move towards a just and lasting solution in Western Sahara. The recent post-meeting statement of the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Mr Staffan de Mistura, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the occupying State of Morocco, reflects a rhetoric of rejection and obstacles that threaten regional peace. The UN Security Council is urged to assume its responsibility in the face of the escalation of tensions promoted by Morocco. The POLISARIO Front reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful solution and reiterates its determination in the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Saharawi people.
COMMUNIQUÉ
The statement issued after the meeting of the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the occupying State of Morocco yesterday is nothing more than a rehash of the same positions of intransigence and arrogance, demonstrating once again that the occupying State has no political will to move towards a just and lasting solution for the decolonisation of Western Sahara.
The POLISARIO Front strongly condemns the rejectionist rhetoric and intransigence contained in the said statement and calls on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility in addressing the aggression and escalation pursued by the occupying state of Morocco, especially after its breach and torpedoing of the ceasefire agreement of 13 November 2020, which further fuel tensions and endanger peace, security and stability in the whole region.
The occupying State of Morocco, which had previously criticised Mr. Staffan de Mistura, is trying to use his visit to mislead its domestic public opinion by appearing to set “conditions”, which in reality are only pretexts for its unwillingness to engage seriously in the peace process and to continue its obstruction of the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara.
Moreover, the “conditions” contained in the statement demonstrate that the occupying State of Morocco continues to flout Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2703 (2023), which have consistently called on both parties to resume negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General without preconditions and in good faith.
The POLISARIO Front reaffirms that the UN-OAU Settlement Plan, which was accepted by both parties to the conflict, the POLISARIO Front and Morocco, in August 1988 and unanimously adopted by the Security Council in its resolutions 658 (1990) and 690 (1991), remains the realistic, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution for the decolonisation of Western Sahara.
The UN Security Council is therefore called upon to take concrete steps to empower the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to fully implement its mandate as set out in the UN/OAU Settlement Plan.
The Frente POLISARIO also reiterates its readiness to continue working with the United Nations and the African Union with a view to achieving a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the conflict between the Saharawi Republic (SADR) and the Kingdom of Morocco, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the objectives and principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
In conclusion, the POLISARIO Front reaffirms the firm and unwavering determination of the Saharawi people to continue its national struggle by all legitimate means, including armed struggle, until it achieves its non-negotiable freedom and independence, and the establishment of sovereignty over the entire Saharawi Republic (SADR).
Bir Lehlou, 5 April 2024
