France hailed this Monday the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2414, extending the mandate of MINURSO until 31 October 2018 and welcoming the “serious and credible” Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara. “Paris fully supports this mission, which plays a vital role in promoting peace and stability in the region”, said the French Foreign Ministry in a press release. The UN Security Council affirmed its full support for the Secretary General and his personal envoy for the Sahara to relaunch negotiations with “a new dynamic and a new spirit” with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable political solution. The United States also gave credence to the serious, credible and realistic character of Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a sound basis for negotiations. “We continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible, and realistic, and it represents one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people in Western Sahara to run their own affairs with peace and dignity,” the US mission to New York said in a statement on its website following the UN Security Council vote on Resolution 2414.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 30, 2018 13:52 UTC