The Polisario is set to occupy the border crossing linking Morocco to Mauritania through its repetitive acts of banditry in the area that is supposed to remain demilitarized under the UN sponsored 1991 ceasefire agreement in the Sahara. Despite the intervention of the UN mission in the Sahara, MINURSO, Polisario maintained presence in the buffer strip, showing disregard for the international legality, the 1991 ceasefire agreement and the UN resolutions calling for a negotiated solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara. For his part, head of the MINURSO, Canada’s Colin Stewart, informed the UN of the Polisario’s breach of the ceasefire agreement in the demilitarized area, east of the Moroccan-built security wall. Such irresponsible Polisario acts are also likely to sap all efforts aiming to find a lasting, political and mutually acceptable solution based on the Moroccan autonomy initiative. The Polisario’s hostile acts and its obstinacy to maintain its armed men within the buffer zone in an utter disregard for the ceasefire agreement are threatening with a casus belli the whole region.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 06, 2018 17:37 UTC