UN Envoy Appointment for Western Sahara Sparks Hope for Sahrawi Referendum

The Moroccan government has approved the appointment of Staffan De Mistura as the UN special envoy for Western Sahara. The Polisario Front had already validated this proposal in April, according to Europa Press. It is now up to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to confirm De Mistura in this position, which has remained vacant since the resignation of former German President Horst Koehler in May 2019.

To read: Morocco Approves UN Special Envoy for Sahara, Accuses Algeria of Obstruction

Abdulah Arabi, the Polisario Front delegate in Spain, hopes that De Mistura’s appointment to this position will help advance the "political process" between the parties. The Polisario defends the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, while Rabat leans more towards limited autonomy for the former Spanish colony. "We defend independence and Morocco defends another option. It is time to give the Sahrawi people a voice so that they can decide their destiny at the ballot box," the delegate said in a statement.

To read: UN Struggles to Fill Western Sahara Envoy Role Amid Polisario Rejection

"The political process has long been at a standstill due to Morocco’s constant and permanent blockade and the inaction of the international community, which has resulted in the inability of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to fulfill its role," added the Polisario official.