Morocco Accuses Algeria and Polisario of Blocking UN Envoy Appointment for Western Sahara

Morocco is complaining once again about the Polisario and Algeria, who have rejected two proposals to appoint a special envoy for the Sahara, a position that has been vacant since the resignation of the German Horst Köhler in May 2019. "Morocco has promptly accepted the proposals of the UN Secretary-General for the nominations, first of the former Romanian Prime Minister Petre Roman, in December 2020, and subsequently, of the former Portuguese Foreign Minister, Luis Amado, last month, as personal envoy for the Sahara," said Omar Hilale.

"Through its positive and diligent responses to these proposals, Morocco reaffirms its commitment to support the exclusive efforts of the UN to resolve this dispute, as well as its respect for the resolutions of the Security Council," said the Moroccan diplomat. "In contrast, Algeria and the Polisario continue to block the UN political process. In less than three months, they have refused the two proposals for the appointment of Petre Roman and Luis Amado," denounced the Moroccan diplomat.

For him, this obstruction constitutes an affront to the authority of the Secretary-General and a disregard for the resolutions of the Security Council. "It lays bare the double discourse of Algeria and the Polisario: on the one hand, they publicly call, at the highest level, for the appointment of a personal envoy and the resumption of the political process, even daring to criticize the Secretary-General for the absence of an envoy. On the other hand, they reject all qualified candidates of international stature, proposed by the Secretary-General," Omar Hilale further denounced.

The Moroccan diplomat also recalled that King Mohammed VI reiterated to Antonio Guterres, during their telephone conversation on November 16 last, that Morocco will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations within the political framework, which should involve the true parties. "In this context, Algeria is the main party that has created and mobilizes all its means to perpetuate this dispute. It must assume its responsibilities by fully contributing to the round table process, as enshrined in Security Council resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494 and 2548, in order to reach a political, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and compromise solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue," insisted the Moroccan ambassador.

And he concluded: "the autonomy initiative, within the framework of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Morocco, and whose preeminence, seriousness and credibility have been enshrined in the 17 resolutions of the Security Council since its presentation in 2007, is and will remain the only solution to this dispute".