Algiers, 6 November 2021 (SPS) - The solution to the conflict in Western Sahara must take “due account of the rights of the Sahrawi people,” said Italian President Sergio Mattarella, expressing the wish of a resumption of direct negotiations between the sides to reach a “fair and lasting” solution to the issue.
“We are following the issue of Western Sahara very closely. We have always supported with conviction the role played by the United Nations and, with regard to this, we have learnt with satisfaction the appointment of Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan De Mistura as personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General,” underlined the Italian President in an interview granted to the Algerian national paper El Moudjahid, published on Saturday.
Mattarella, who started a two-day State visit to Algeria, expressed the wish that “De Mistura’s commitment “could contribute, despite the current tense situation, to a resumption of direct negotiations between the parties (to the conflict, Morocco and Polisario Front) to reach a fair and lasting solution to the issue, which takes due account of the Sahrawi people’s rights.”
In this respect, President Mattarella underlined that Italy supports “the role of Algeria and its commitment to the United Nations framework on Western Sahara.”
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