Nouakchott, 5 March 2016 (SPS) - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday in Nouakchott that his visit to the region aimed at relaunching negotiations for the resolution of the Western Sahara conflict.
In a statement to the press after his discussions with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the UN chief said that he "came to the region to discuss the situation in Western Sahara," adding that he intended to "visit the MINURSO (the UN Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara) and the Sahrawi refugee camps on Saturday."
He hoped that his visit would allow "relaunching negotiations for the settlement of the long-lasting conflict so that refugees return rapidly to their families in Western Sahara."
"I hope that the situation in Western Sahara would make tangible progress," said the UN chief, hailing Mauritania's support to his personal envoy Christopher Ross.
Ban Ki-moon said that he discussed with the Mauritanian president the situation in the Sahel, adding that "security, development, good governance and the respect for human rights must be top priorities in the region. (SPS)
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