UN Envoy’s Western Sahara Partition Plan Rejected by Morocco and Polisario Front

The Italian diplomat has nevertheless put his full weight on the scale by detailing a plan which, according to him, could get the conflict out of the rut: create an independent state in the south of the Sahara and integrate the rest of the territory into Morocco, with international recognition of its sovereignty.

But this idea did not find a favorable echo with the two stakeholders. Morocco, which considers the Sahara an integral part of its territory, is sticking to its positions and continues to plead for its autonomy plan. For its part, the Polisario Front, which claims the total independence of Western Sahara, remains firmly attached to the organization of a self-determination referendum.

Faced with this deaf dialogue, Staffan de Mistura has pounded the table. He warned that if no progress was made in the next six months, he could call into question the usefulness of his mandate.

Yet the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco seems to be gaining ground on the international scene. Several countries, including the United States, France and Spain, have already lent their support to it.