New York, 18 November 2015 (SPS) – the representative of the Frente POLISARIO
To the United Nations Mr. Ahmed Bujari sent on behalf of the Frente POLISARIO letter to the President of the Security Council H. E. Ambassador Mathew Rycroftt, regarding the recent developments in Western Sahara.
He said in his letter that “To avoid a further deterioration in the prospects for peace and security in the Maghreb, it is critical that the UN Security Council demonstrates its commitment to finding a solution on Western Sahara that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
Following is the full text of the letter:
H. E. Ambassador Mathew Rycroftt
.
On 4 November 2015 the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) issued a statement calling for “true negotiations” between the Frente POLISARIO and the Kingdom of Morocco in the coming months (SG/SM/17298-AFR/3255). The Frente Polisario welcomed the call. The statement reaffirms the historical and legal bases of the Sahrawi cause: that Western Sahara is not and has never been part of Moroccan Territory and that its final legal status is linked to the decolonization process and the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people. In the context of the UNSG’s statement, we also reaffirmed our continued cooperation with the Personal Envoy Christopher Ross and his work to facilitate the entry of the parties into negotiations that would lead to a mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the right of self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
On 6 November 2015, King Mohamed VI made a speech in the occupied city of Laayoon on the fortieth anniversary of Morocco’s illegal invasion of Western Sahara. The speech was intentionally provocative, and aimed clearly at drawing a line under the UN political process. The statement by the King that he is now accelerating a “Development Model for the Southern Provinces” in order to “seal these province’s integration into the unified homeland” is a further confirmation of Morocco’s unwillingness to respect the current international status of Western Sahara as a Non-Self-Governing Territory, and the clear and unambiguous mandate from the Security Council that Western Sahara’s final status must be determined by a process of self-determination. The King’s statement is effectively a rejection of the UN political process, and any prospect of real and substantive negotiations.
Furthermore, the Moroccan Foreign Minister Salah Eddine Mezouar recently made a public statement that Morocco will not allow the Personal Envoy of the UNSG to travel to the Territory of Western Sahara.
In light of these developments, and to avoid a further deterioration in the prospects for peace and security in the Maghreb, it is critical that the UN Security Council demonstrates its commitment to finding a solution on Western Sahara that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Mr. President,
The conflict cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. TheUN process is now at a complete standstill, and there is a growing frustration among the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara and the refugee camps at the lack of progress towards a process of self-determination. As the tragic events at Gdeim Izik in 2010 showed, it is only a matter of time before violent conflict re-emerges. This, along with the increasing presence of extremist, terrorist and criminal elements in the Sahel zone, poses a significant risk to the stability and security of the Maghreb region.
The UNSG’s call for “true negotiations” in the coming months, and the prospect of the UNSG’s visit to the region, provides an opportunity to resuscitate the political process by bringing the two parties back to the negotiating table. But this will only be worthwhile if there is prior understanding that such discussions are time-bound, substantive, and in accordance with the Security Council’s mandate for a just and mutually acceptable political solution that will provide for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people. Members of the Council can be assured that the Sahrawi people remains committed to that end. (SPS)
125/090