New York (United Nations), 3 August 2024 (SPS) - The representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations and the coordinator with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Sidi Mohamed Omar, affirmed that France's move to recognize the so-called "Moroccan autonomy plan" in Western Sahara, presented within the framework of Morocco's alleged "sovereignty", is "a serious escalation in its traditional aggressive stance towards the Sahrawi people and their inalienable right to self-determination and independence".
In an interview with Sahrawi Television on Thursday, Sidi Mohamed Omar explained that the latest French position "is not new in essence, and all that has happened is that France has removed the mask of deception from its ugly face in order to openly express the deep-rooted hostility towards the Sahrawi people".
He reiterated the position of the Sahrawi party regarding this step - which was "clearly and explicitly expressed" - that "France's adoption of its aggressive stance towards the Sahrawi people completely excludes it from any connection to the international efforts related to the decolonization of Western Sahara, including its participation in the MINURSO mission", adding that the message "has reached those concerned".
He added: "It is no wonder that the French move was met with strong and clear reactions", noting that the United Nations "has expressed its position through the official spokesperson of the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, that the United Nations' efforts regarding Western Sahara will continue in accordance with the decisions of the Security Council".
The representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations and the coordinator with the MINURSO mission concluded by emphasizing that "regardless of the dealing with the current state of deadlock, the Sahrawi people spoke their word on November 13, 2020, when they announced the resumption of their legitimate armed struggle to achieve their non-negotiable objectives of self-determination and independence, and the extension of sovereignty over the entire territory of the Sahrawi Republic."