N'Djamena, April 11, 2014 (SPS) - Saharawi Coordinator with the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Mr. Mhamed Khaddad received Thursday in N'Djamena by H.E. Mr. Kalzeubet Pahimi Deubet, prime minister of the Republic of Chad.
Mr. Khaddad delivered to his interlocutor a letter sent by the President of the Republic Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz to his Chadian counterpart Mr. Idriss Déby.
Following this meeting, the Saharawi official told reporters that the visit comes at a time when the UN Security Council prepares to discuss the Western Sahara issue in light of the UN Secretary General’s report.
Appreciating the role played by Chad in bringing peace and stability in the region, Mr. Khaddad said that Chad’s presence within the UN Security Council for the 2014-2015 term would “contribute to a just and durable peace in Western Sahara, based on the respect for the inalienable legitimate rights of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence.”
He, therefore, urged Africa to engage in peace efforts in Western Sahara, either at the international level or within the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, as well as in the efforts undertaken by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General, Christopher Ross.
In this respect, Mr. Khaddad emphasized the need to extend the prerogatives of the MINURSO, in place in Western Sahara since 1991, to include human rights monitoring. (SPS)
090/089/TRA