UN peacekeeping chief to visit Western Sahara

Plans to ease tension with Morocco

UNITED NATIONS, United States, Oct 24, (AFP): UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous will travel to Western Sahara this week as the United Nations works to ease tensions with Morocco over its mission in the disputed territory.

Ladsous told reporters on Tuesday that he will hold talks in Rabat, visit the headquarters of the UN mission MINURSO in Laayoune and cross into Algeria to visit the refugee camps in Tindouf.

The visit will be the first by a senior UN official since Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a controversial trip in March, angering Morocco over his use of the term “occupation” to describe the status of Western Sahara.

Ladsous described his visit to MINURSO as a “morale-boosting” exercise for the mission after Morocco cut dozens of staff in angry retaliation over Ban’s use of the term.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in April demanding that MINURSO return to “full functionality” but not all 75 staffers are expected to go back.

A review of the staffing is under way and some of the mission’s work could be handled by the UN regional hub, a senior UN official said.

The United Nations announced in August that UN envoy Christopher Ross was prepared to travel to the region for talks on ending the decades-old conflict over Western Sahara.