The UN Security Council expressed on Thursday full support to the efforts made by the Personal envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahara Horst Köhler to relaunch the Sahara negotiation process stalled since 2012 due to the intransigence of the Polisario and Algeria. In a press statement issued by the Council President José Singer Weisinger (Dominican Republic), the members of the Security Council welcomed the Personal Envoy’s briefing, saying they stand ready to continue to support Mr. Köhler in the fulfillment of his mandate. The Security Council also welcomed the participation of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario in the initial roundtable discussion held in Geneva Dec.5-6, added the statement. Tuesday, Horst Köhler briefed the Security Council members on the first roundtable meeting held in Geneva and on his plans to advance the political process and convene a second roundtable in March. Discussions in Geneva focused on stocktaking of recent developments, challenges and opportunities for regional integration, and next steps in the political process.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 01, 2019 12:56 UTC