afrol News, 28 January - There are currently no diplomatic initiatives to find a solution to the deadlocked conflict over Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. Instead, the UN peacekeepers are noting an increased number of ceasefire violations, which according to the parties are due to illegal migrants.

More than 13 years after they agreed to a ceasefire, the parties in Western Sahara remain deadlocked politically and there is no sign of any way to advance the stalled peace process, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan tells the UN Security Council in his latest report on the work of the peacekeeping mission there, MINURSO.

The Western Sahara conflict deteriorated last year as the government of Morocco went back on the conditions for the 1991 ceasefire agreement. Morocco rejected the last UN peace proposals saying the kingdom could not accept any solution that may lead to the full independence of Western Sahara. Since that, the peace process has been dead.

Mr Annan in his report warns that the situation in Western Sahara, while currently relatively calm, might deteriorate if the prolonged deadlock between the Moroccan government and the Frente Polisario - the independence movement forming Western Sahara's exiled government - is not broken soon.

- I remain prepared to help the parties find a solution to the current impasse, Mr Annan says, adding that he is pleased there have been no indications that either side plans to resume hostilities, which were formally suspended when MINURSO, began operations in September 1991.

On the other hand, MINURSO also for the first time reports violations of the ceasefire agreement by the two parties. MINURSO had observed the presence of a Polisario unit at "a position located within the restricted area east of the berm," the wall constructed by Morocco to separate the parties.

At the same time, the Moroccan Army admitted it was "taking steps to enhance its radar monitoring capability along the berm." MINURSO had told Moroccan authorities that "tactical reinforcement of equipment is prohibited in the restricted areas, that is, within 30 kilometres of the berm, and would constitute a violation of the agreement if continued."

Both parties however had plaid down the violations of the ceasefire agreements by pointing to the growing "movement of illegal migrants as well as smugglers" through the Western Sahara territory, which they were taking action against. Both Polisario and the Moroccan Army requested the help from the UN peacekeepers to fight the growing incidence of illegal migration.

- In view of this apparent shared interest, Mr Annan wrote, "MINURSO is in contact with the parties with a view to ensuring that their actions to stem the flow of migrants and the activities of smugglers do not become a potential source of friction between them, but instead turn into a possible area for cooperation that could help to enhance stability in the MINURSO area of operations."

Indeed, a first-ever cooperation between MINURSO and Polisario regarding illegal migrants had already occurred. Polisario had detained 21 migrants in the village of Tifariti, in the "liberated area". 20 of those, coming from Pakistan, were released at their request and taken to the border with Mauritania. The remaining migrant, a Bangladeshi, continues to be sheltered by the Polisario in Tifariti, and there were now made arrangements for his repatriation.

Mr Annan said that "the experience with the first repatriation operation was positive." Nevertheless, the fact remained that "the capacity of MINURSO to assist in this area is limited." The growing phenomenon of migrants transiting through Western Sahara could therefore necessitate a new presence of humanitarian agencies that could cooperate with MINURSO and the parties, the UN Secretary-General proposed.

In other developments, the report states that last Saturday, Polisario had announced the release of two seriously ill Moroccan prisoners of war who have since been repatriated with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross. But Mr Annan says Polisario still holds 410 prisoners and he urges the group to release them.

The UN Security Council requested the report from Mr Annan last October after they voted then to extend the mandate of MINURSO by another six months until 30 April this year. The Council also asked the UN Secretary-General to examine the possibility of reducing the size of the mission, which he states he will discuss in greater detail in his next report.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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