2024-10-17 21:23:00
New twist in the unresolved issue Western Sahara. According to a document accessed by EL PERIÓDICO, the United Nations envoy for the region, the Italian-Swedish minister Staffan de Misturaproposed the “partition“of former Spanish colony in two territories. One would be controlled by Moroccothe other would be independent and would allow self-determination of the Saharawi people. De Mistura presented his plan during a closed meeting of the UN Security Council.
According to the diplomat’s proposal, the division “could be based on the limits of the territory of Western Sahara controlled by Mauritaniaas part of the agreement with Morocco between 1976 and 1979.” And here De Mistura is even more precise: “the border was then defined as a straight line from the intersection of the coast with the 24º N parallel, using the intersection of the 23º N parallel and the 13º W meridian, and continuing until pre-existing boundaries of Mauritania”.
This solution would allow “on the one hand, the creation of an independent state in the southern part and, on the other, the integration of the rest of the territory as part of Moroccowith its sovereignty recognized internationally”, explained the diplomat. In this way, according to him, the desire to “self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, who could thus enjoy the possibility of deciding where they want to live and in which political context.
No deal
The UN envoy thus recovered a proposal from his predecessor, James Bakermade more than 20 years ago. Although yes, without being too enthusiastic about the possibility that his plan will succeed given that, as he himself explains, received no signs of interest in his plan neither from Morocco nor from the Polisario Front, only “from some countries of the region”.
A solution, he says, should come soon because of the many people living in Western Sahara a “miserable” situation. and with a complete “absence of better life prospects”as “I was able to see during my third visit to the Tindouf refugee camp”. “THE recent torrential rains and its catastrophic impact in some fields has made the situation worse,” he adds.
De Mistura’s plan is known because several European countries – including Spain and France – have recently supported the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco, as a “single solution to the conflict”, which has also caused unrest in Algeria. In this regard, however, De Mistura notes that, for this plan to be taken into consideration, it is necessary for Rabat to “provide the details” of its proposal, first put forward in 2007.
#envoy #Western #Sahara #proposes #plan #divide #territory