New York, 27 April 2016 – On the eve of the UN Security Council’s renewal of the mandate of the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Frente POLISARIO’s MINURSO Coordinator, Emhamed Khadad, made the following statement to the press.
Morocco’s unilateral decision to expel the civilian component of the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is a continuation of its longstanding contempt for the UN and its efforts to provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, as required by all previous resolutions of the UNSecurity Council and the General Assembly.
The current so-called “crisis” was manufactured by Morocco to distract from its unwillingness to engage in meaningful negotiations on nothing more than a vote by the Saharawi people to determine their political future. Yesterday, AU Special Envoy Joaquim Chissanobriefed the Security Councilon Western Sahara and stated, “If it happened in East Timor, why not Western Sahara?” There is strong African solidarity in favour of the Saharawi people. Morocco is the only African country not in the AU, precisely because it has isolated itself on Western Sahara.
Today is a moment of truth for the Security Council. We hope it won’t allow itself to be cowed into a non-response on this big challenge to its authority, and to the security and integrity of peacekeeping missions worldwide.
Given these wider ramifications, a resolution drafted solely by the so-called “Group of Friends” is not good enough. France and Spain are protecting the King of Morocco for their own selfish reasons. This text needs to come to the full 15 members of the Security Council.
“The current draft being considered by the Group of Friends has a strong call for the immediate return of MINURSO’s full functionality, including return of civilian personnel,” said EmhamedKhadad.“True to usual form, France and Spain are seeking deletion of the language in order to entrench Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara. This is a blatant undermining of the UN Security Council’s own authority and credibility,” added Khadad.
The Security Council must use tomorrow’s resolution to demand the immediate reinstatement of MINURSO to its mandated status quo ante, including by use of sanctions against Morocco, if necessary. The resolution also needs to set a clear timeline for a return to the negotiating table, with a deadline after which the UN presence should initiate preparations for a referendum.
Morocco’s characterization of the UN presence and Saharawi self-determination as “threats to its national identity” fly in the face of international law. No one country in the world recognizes Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara, and any connection was rejected outright by the International Court of Justice. No new “facts on the ground” change this clear legal reality.SPS
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