France welcomed Friday the holding of the first round table on the Sahara and reiterated “its full support” to the UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to this regional dispute. France welcomes the holding of the initial round table that brought together Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario, said the French Foreign ministry in a statement. The round table was held in Geneva on December 5 and 6, at the initiative of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara, Horst Köhler. The Geneva meeting follows a recent UN Security Council meeting and resolution 2040, adopted end of October, which calls on the parties to the dispute, including Algeria, “to engage constructively” in talks. Parties should “demonstrate political will in order to advance the negotiations”, Council Members said, while also emphasizing the importance of an “enduring political solution based on compromise”.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 08, 2018 15:33 UTC