African Conference backs Morocco’s Sahara plan
Morocco has plans to extend the Sahara region’s autonomy under its sovereignty, The Arab weekly and agencies reported on 22 January.
On the other hand, the Polisario Front is calling for a referendum on self-determination. The proposal is backed up by Algeria, which supports separatist group.
The 19th summit of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) reaffirmed its support for the UN proposals on the territorial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. The objective is to reach a political solution that will be acceptable to all the parties.
According to the summit’s final declaration, NAM leaders welcomed negotiations held under the auspices of the United Nations and the commitment of the parties to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue, in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations.
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As clarified in the Kampala summit that the aim is to ensure the implementation of recent UN Security Council resolutions, which sequentially enshrine the priority of the Moroccan autonomy initiative as serious and credible.
Furthermore, as cited in the Kampala summit outcome document, all Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007 enshrine the significance of the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the only avenue for the political process.
The final summit document confirmed Morocco’s position in that the NAM stressed the need to reach a political solution based on compromise and realism. It also urged all the parties to fully cooperate with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his personal envoy to the Moroccan Sahara Staffan de Mistura, considering their continued involvement in the political series under UN auspices.
The Arab Weekly plus agencies
