Convinced of the involvement of Algeria in the regional conflict of the Sahara through its funding, hosting and arming the Polisario separatist group, UN Secretary-General has urged, in his latest report to the Security Council, Algeria to “make important contributions to the political process” and to step up “its commitment to the negotiation process”. In his annual report on the Sahara, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said that in the era of global interdependence, “the socio-economic, humanitarian and security consequences of this protracted conflict weigh heavily on regional and sub-regional integration”. He recommended to the Security Council the extension of MINURSO’s mandate for another 12 months until April 30, 2019 and called on the parties to continue to work with his Personal Envoy Horst Koehler “in this new spirit and dynamic and to truly engage in the negotiation process in accordance with the guidelines established by Security Council resolutions”. In his report, Guterres underlined Morocco’s commitment to engage in the current dynamic and to fully cooperate with his Personal Envoy for the Sahara. For the North African Kingdom, the Security Council is the only international body entitled to oversee the settlement process and opposes any obsolete proposal aimed at diverting the settlement plan from the agreed benchmarks.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 04, 2018 18:11 UTC