UN Chief Seeks Pragmatic Solution to Decades-Old Sahara Dispute

"On October 30, 2019, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2494" by which it stressed the "need to achieve a political, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and compromise-based solution" to the regional dispute, noted the Secretary-General in his report. Continuing his presentation, Antonio Guterres returned to the multiple efforts of his former special envoy Horst Köhler to find a lasting solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue.

In this regard, he mentioned the round table process that brought together Morocco, the "Polisario", Algeria and Mauritania. Recognizing that the political momentum created by his envoy constitutes the only way for the continuation of the exclusively UN political process, he promised to appoint a new Personal Envoy to continue the progress made in the round table process.

He also welcomed Morocco’s solidarity with MINURSO during the critical period of Covid-19. For Antonio Guterres, the measures taken by the Kingdom have spared the personnel of this UN mission from the coronavirus. "The Government of Morocco, in particular, has supported MINURSO in several respects, providing assistance through the provision of rapid Covid-19 test results for the benefit of aircraft crews and by helping civilian and military personnel to travel to and from the Mission’s area of operations, by giving them access to special commercial international flights," acknowledged the Secretary-General.