New York (United Nations) 03 November 2020 (SPS)- The Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN, H.E. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, called on the UN Security Council “to end the illegal occupation of Western Sahara” by Morocco, in his country’s statement before the UN 75th General Assembly’s Fourth Committee on decolonisation.
“My delegation calls on the Security Council to enforce its resolutions and take all measures at its disposal to end the illegal occupation of parts of Western Sahara and insist on the holding of a self-determination referendum without delay, in compliance to the relevant decisions of the African Union and the resolutions of the United Nations,” he stressed.
He further indicated that Zimbabwe “calls on the United Nations to fully assume its responsibility for the protection of the human rights of the people of Western Sahara and preservation of the territorial integrity of the Territory.”
In this regards he called “on the Security Council to include monitoring and investigation of Human Rights in the mandate of MINURSO,” considering it to be “vital to identify critical human rights issues on all sides and will contribute to preventing the escalation of grievances.”
On another hand, Zimbabwe also called on the Security Council “to ensure that MINURSO maintains its impartiality and independence and operates in line with basic principles and rules of UN peacekeeping,” voicing out wide critics of UN Mission’s behaviour in the territory, including by Polisario Front, which calls on the Mission to stop acting like a “traffic police” and start implementing its main mandate, which is the organisation of a referendum on self-determination.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, like many countries, called on the UN Secretary-General “to appoint his Personal Envoy without delay to pursue the peace process following the resignation of Mr. Horst Kohler in May 2019 who had laid a foundation for a political process between Morocco and the Polisario Front.”
Zimbabwean Ambassador recalled the statement delivered by the President of Zimbabwe, H.E. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, in his address during the General Debate of the 75th United Nations General Assembly, where he stressed that “self-determination and independence are intrinsic fundamental rights that should be enjoyed by all without distinction.”
“We call on the Security Council to increase its efforts towards ending the occupation of Western Sahara. Zimbabwe also calls on the Secretary-General to appoint his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara without further delay,” President Mnangagwa reiterated.
Zimbabwe Permanent representative, concluded by calling on the “two parties, Frente POLISARIO and Morocco to resume direct negotiations without conditions as called for by the Security Council in its relevant resolutions.” (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)