UN chief praises ‘momentum’ of Western Sahara talks
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he hoped to maintain political momentum in the process of seeking a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, despite having not had a special envoy in the region for the past four months.
In a report on Wednesday, Mr Guterres praised the progress made by the UN’s former envoy, Horst Kohler, who left the position in May for health reasons.
“[Mr Kohler] was able to reinstate a much-needed dynamic and momentum to the political process, including through the round-table process he launched that brought together Morocco, Frente Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania,” Mr Guterres said in the document delivered to the Security Council.
After a long period of inaction, talks in Switzerland in December and March brought together the various parties but did not reach any significant breakthroughs.
“It is therefore essential that the continuity and momentum in this political process is not lost,” Mr Guterres said.
Many diplomats have lamented the difficulty in finding the right person to replace Mr Kohler.
Morocco took control of the former Spanish colony and fought a war with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front from 1975 to 1991, when a ceasefire deal was agreed.
A UN mission was sent to monitor the truce and to prepare a referendum on Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco, but it never materialised.
The UN maintains a peacekeeping force of 240 soldiers called Minurso who monitor the ceasefire.
Between April and September, “the situation on the ground in Western Sahara remained relatively calm despite some uncertainty ... and the ceasefire between the parties was respected”, Mr Guterres said in the report.
There is a plan for monthly military meetings, but there is disagreement over where to hold such talks.
“There is continued lack of trust between the parties,” Mr Guterres said.
The Security Council is expected to renew Minurso’s mandate this month.