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UN Envoy for Western Sahara Resigns Unexpectedly, Citing Health Reasons
Thursday 23 May 2019, by
The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for the Sahara has just resigned from his post, citing "medical reasons". This information was received from Morocco, which said it "regrets" taking note of it.
At the age of 76, Horst Köhler has just become the former UN envoy for the Sahara by submitting his resignation from his duties for "health reasons". This is specified in a statement from the United Nations.
Morocco, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated that it has taken note "with regret" of this resignation. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Morocco pays tribute to the efforts made by Köhler and salutes, according to MAP, "the consistency, availability and professionalism with which Mr. Köhler carried out his duties".
And Morocco is not the only one to regret it, as Guterres (the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres), according to the same UN statement: "deeply regrets this resignation but says he fully understands it and conveys his best wishes to the envoy".
The former German President Horst Köhler had been appointed personal envoy of António Guterres for the Sahara in August 2017, succeeding American Christopher Ross who had resigned a few months earlier after spending eight years trying to find a solution between Morocco and the Polisario Front.