UN Struggles to Fill Western Sahara Envoy Role Amid Polisario Rejection

The choice of former Portuguese Foreign Minister Luís Amado is far from unanimous. According to diplomatic sources, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has recently suffered a new setback in his quest for an envoy for the conflict in Western Sahara, with the Polisario’s refusal to accept a Portuguese, reports AFP. "This is not the first candidate to be rejected" by one or the other of the parties, "it’s the umpteenth," says a diplomat who requested anonymity, adding that several other people approached over the past two years have often also fallen short after asking for a reflection period in the face of the particularly difficult management of a conflict that seems endless.

Luís Amado’s statements at the time when he was head of the Portuguese diplomacy are at the origin of the Polisario’s refusal. The compatriot of Antonio Guterres had displayed his support for Morocco during an official visit to Rabat in 2017. Moreover, the fact that his candidacy was endorsed by Rabat "was a pretty good reason for the Sahrawis to oppose him," explains another diplomat. Meanwhile, at the UN, "the Americans are pushing for this to move, for an envoy" for the Sahara, says a diplomatic source.