UN Envoy for Western Sahara Resigns, Algeria Expresses "Deep Regret"

Horst Kohler, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, resigned, to the surprise of many observers as well as direct and indirect actors involved in this crisis. Among the latter is Algeria, which did not hesitate to express its "deep regret".

"It is with deep regret that Algeria has learned of the resignation of Mr. Horst Kohler from his duties as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara," the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement cited by the official agency.

But also and above all, the statement expresses Algeria’s willingness to pay "well-deserved tribute to Mr. Kohler for the commitment and determination he has shown in reviving the process of resolving the Western Sahara conflict, which has been stalled for too long." However, Algeria says it remains "convinced that the solution to the Western Sahara issue is one that allows the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable and imprescriptible right to self-determination, in accordance with international legality and the doctrine and practice of the United Nations on decolonization."

While the UN statement published on Wednesday had officially cited "health reasons" for Kohler’s resignation, Algeria sees it rather "as a consequence of very strong pressure exerted on him by France and Morocco and, to a considerable extent, by the American administration and the UN Secretary-General, known for his proximity to the King of Morocco," according to an Algerian diplomatic source close to the file, who requested anonymity.

Referring to the same source, the news site TSA notes that "Horst Kohler is known for his rectitude and integrity. He preferred to throw in the towel rather than sacrifice the rights of the Sahrawi people on the altar of realpolitik by imposing on them the unilateral autonomy solution so dear to Morocco and its powerful sponsors."