Sahara occidental : la quête d'une solution

L'émissaire de l'ONU pour le Sahara occidental Christopher Ross a estimé que la recherche d'une solution au conflit du Sahara occidental était sur le "bon chemin", à l'issue d'une entrevue mercredi à Alger avec le président Abdelaziz Bouteflika. "Je crois que nous sommes sur le bon chemin pour procéder à la prochaine étape dans la recherche d'une solution à cette grande question", a déclaré à la presse M. Ross cité par l'agence algérienne APS.

M. Ross a qualifié de "très bonnes" ses discussions avec M. Bouteflika au cours desquelles ont été abordés "beaucoup d'aspects liés à la situation dans la région, y compris bien évidemment la question du Sahara occidental", a-t-il dit.

Les négociations entre le Maroc et le Front Polisario, entamées en juin 2007 sous l'égide de l'ONU, n'ont donné aucun résultat. Ancienne colonie espagnole, le Sahara occidental a été annexé en 1975 par le Maroc, qui propose un plan de large autonomie sous sa souveraineté, refusant toute indépendance.

Le Polisario réclame un référendum d'autodétermination dans lequel l'indépendance serait l'une des options.

Par AFP

Western Sahara: "sincere desire" of the parties to continue dialogue

There is a "sincere desire" of Morocco and the Polisario Front to continue negotiations on the future of Western Sahara, said Wednesday in Algiers the new UN envoy for Western Sahara Christopher Ross, currently touring the region.

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"This tour has allowed me to see a sincere desire to continue the process (the settlement of the conflict) and help me in my mission of both parties of the conflict (Morocco and Polisario Front) and from the neighbourhood countries", namely Algeria, told the press Mr. Ross, whose remarks were reported by the Algerian press agency APS.

"This first stage of my tour in the region allows me to hear clearly the positions and views," he added, before leaving Algiers, where he arrived Monday in connection with a tour intended to revive the negotiating process between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

Before Algiers, Ross had visited Morocco and the Sahraoui refugee camps in Tindouf (south west of Algeria).

The new UN envoy, appointed in January, said he would now travel to Madrid, Paris and Washington to "discuss with senior officials in the three capitals of the contribution they can make in the exercise of his mission.

Mr. Ross has also reported that in Algiers he had “frank and fruitful” talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci and the Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel.

Former Spanish colony with a sub-soil rich in phosphates, Western Sahara was annexed in 1975 by Morocco, which offers a wide autonomy under its sovereignty, rejecting any independence.

The Polisario, supported by Algeria, on the other hand requires a referendum for self-determination in which independence would be one of the options.

Christopher Ross arrived in Tindouf

The new UN special envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross arrived early Saturday afternoon in Tindouf (southwestern Algeria) as part of his tour in the region, told the press an official of the Polisario Front.

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"Mr. Ross arrived at 13H30 (local, 12:30 GMT). He will begin discussions with the Sahraoui delegation engaged in negotiations with Morocco on the future of Western Sahara, said Habibouallah Mohamed, head to the Polisario Front.

Tindouf home for over thirty years some 165,000 Sahraoui refugees, according to official Saharans figures.

Ross must stay until Sunday evening in Tindouf, where he will hold talks with officials including the Sahraoui Polisario leader Mohamed Abdelaziz, according to M’hamed Khedad, another official of the Polisario Front.

"We will tell Mr. Ross that it is time to hold a referendum on self-determination to give voice to the Saharaoui people to decide or choose between independence and integration with Morocco," said Mr. Khedad.

Mr. Ross, who then must go to Algiers, began his visit Wednesday in the area from Rabat where he met King Mohamed VI.

Former Spanish colony rich in phosphates, Western Sahara was annexed in 1975 by Morocco, which offers a wide autonomy under its sovereignty, rejecting any independence.

The Polisario, supported by Algeria, on the other hand requires a referendum for self-determination in which independence would be one of the options.

Before this tour of Mr. Ross, UN officials have cautioned against too high expectations, explaining that it was simply to assess the chances of a resumption of the negotiating process of Manhasset, launched near New York in June 2007 between Morocco and the Polisario, under the auspices of the United Nations.

Four rounds of negotiations have already taken place, but without progress. A new round of talks is scheduled for an unspecified date.

Western Sahara: The UN envoy begins his first tour

The new UN envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, visited the area Wednesday in the hope of reviving discussions on the future of the territory between the Moroccan government and Polisario Front.

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Mr. Ross, former U.S. ambassador in Algeria and Syria, was appointed in early January in the post, where he succeeds the Dutch Peter van Walsum. The latter, whose mandate was not renewed in late August, had been accused of unfairness in favour of Morocco after declaring that the independence of Western Sahara was "unrealistic."

UN officials have cautioned against too high expectations before the tour of Mr. Ross, explaining that it was simply for him to assess the chances of a resumption of the negotiating process of Manhasset, launched near New York in June 2007 between Morocco and the Polisario, under the auspices of the United Nations.

Four rounds of negotiations have already taken place, but without progress. A new series is planned for an unspecified date.

In Rabat, the spokesman of the Moroccan government and Minister of Communications, Khalid Naciri, assured that "Christopher Ross will meet in Morocco the same availability of spirit and good faith required by the Security Council to move the process forward negotiation."

It shall continue from the point where his predecessor left," said Naciri.

The Security Council calls for talks "without preconditions and in good faith" to reach "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable.

The Polisario representative to the UN, Ahmed Boukhari, said he stressed to Mr. Ross on the issue of self-determination.

"The people of Western Sahara to choose their future," he said.

Mr. Ross will begin his tour a week in Rabat Wednesday before travelling to Tindouf (south west of Algeria) for discussions with Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz, and before a visit to Algiers, said UN spokeswoman Michele Montas in a statement.

Tindouf received for over thirty years many Sahraoui refugees.

Mr. Ross will leave Algiers on February 25 for Madrid and then Paris, the capitals of two countries of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, which also includes Russia, Britain and the USA.

For France, considered close to the Moroccan position, the passage in Paris of the UN envoy is of great importance, "said the French ambassador in the UN, Jean Maurice Ripert.

"We believe that the Manhasset process must continue. We believe that the Moroccan proposal is interesting and we call for dialogue between the two parties," he said.

Western Sahara, former Spanish colony rich in phosphates, was annexed in 1975 by Morocco, which offers a wide autonomy under its sovereignty, rejecting any independence.

The Polisario, backed by Algeria, on the other hand requires a referendum for self-determination in which independence would be one of the options.

Both sides agreed in 1991 a cease-fire negotiated by the United Nations, but the promise of a referendum on self-determination has never been materialized.