UN Security Council Urged to Address Western Sahara Conflict as Tensions Rise

"With the brutal ceasefire violation by the [...] Moroccan forces and the [...] annexation of the buffer zone in Guerguerat in flagrant violation of the military agreements, we are facing a war situation and we must recognize that the risks of escalation are serious," said Amar Belani, on the day after the opening of a UN Security Council meeting on the Sahara issue, in an interview with APS.

Based on this observation, he calls on the Security Council to "address the Western Sahara issue with lucidity and responsibility, because it is a matter of peace and stability in the sub-region." "It would be quite legitimate to question the relevance, or even the usefulness, of relaunching a disembodied political process that would not be in line with the new realities on the ground and that would legitimize the colonial fait accompli, including in a buffer zone supposed to be demilitarized in accordance with the binding agreements signed by the two parties and endorsed by the Security Council," said the Algerian diplomat.

According to him, it is now legitimate to question the execution of Minurso’s mandate in this new context, "since there is no longer a ceasefire to observe since November 13, 2020, given Morocco’s refusal to return to the status quo ante despite the exhortations of the UN Secretary-General, and that the holding of the self-determination referendum, which is the raison d’être of the Mission, has been pending for about thirty years".

"For all these objective reasons related to a considerably deteriorated situation, the Security Council is expected to take a balanced, transparent, and impartial approach that takes into account the new realities on the ground and the legitimate expectations of the Sahrawi people in accordance with the parameters of the settlement plan," added Amar Belani.