Western Sahara
POLISARIO criticize UN for not following up peace plan

afrol.com, 6 September - The organisations in support of the Sahrawian People fear  a renewed military confrontation as a consequence of the UN's way of  handling the peace plan of Western Sahara.

The European Coordination of Support for the Sahrawian People (EUCOCO) and the Algerian Committee of Solidarity with Sahrawian People (CASPS) today expressed their dissatisfaction to Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.

Polisario is of the opinion that the UN's handling of the peace plan of the UN Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) leads to a dead end. Kofi Annan has been addressed "to take into account the alarming situation which is emerging in this part of Africa, blocking the UN/OAU peace process." 

The MINURSO was established in 1991 to assist in implementing a Settlement Plan, which was meant to conclude with a referendum in which the people of the Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco. The referendum was originally scheduled for January 1992, but the parties continue to have divergent views on some of the Plan's key elements, including those on the question of criteria for eligibility to vote in the referendum. 

The Polisario appeal underlines that signatories think the blocking "can succeed a resumption of the conflict arms". The whole UN resolution is seriously violated by the Moroccan operations to push back the expiries of chief clerks, the persistence of the government and the king of Morocco to consider the minister portfolio of the Western Sahara, and military occupations. 

The organisations who support the Sahrawians indicate that there is a risk of renewed military confrontation in the area, which not only represents a failure for the UN and the OAU, but also deprives all Maghreb of prospects for peaceful coexistence between free nations and ability to build their future in a regional unit. The signatories call members of parliament to reaffirm their support for the UN plan for the Western Sahara, by addressing a message at the UN Millennium Summit. They also exhort to call the Security Council and the UN Secretary-General to take concrete and urgent goals to lead without delay to the referendum of auto determination and show their solidarity to the Sahrawian People and give these people humanitarian support.

Source: based on Polisario

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