UN Chief wants Western Sahara Talks soon

The event brought together elected-members, notables, dignitaries and civil society actors claiming that the United Nations presence on the territory has become irrelevant in light of the new development model of the southern provinces exposed by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of 40th anniversary of the Green March.

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the United Russian Federation Socialist party, Vladimir Lakaev, condemned the serious violations of human rights committed by Morocco in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, during reception to the representative of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Fadel Ali Salem.

The king also vowed that revenues from the mineral-rich Western Sahara will continue to be invested locally.

The Polisario Front released a statement describing the speech as a “dangerous, escalatory step”.

This is King Mohammed’s only his third visit to Western Sahara since his succession the throne in 1999.

He named several public works projects that plan to get implemented to improve the area’s infrastructure, including a desalination plant and industrial zones.

He promised “revenues from natural resources will continue to be invested in the region, for the benefit of the local populations and in consultation and coordination with them”.

Morocco has controlled most of Western Sahara since 1975 and claims the sparsely populated stretch of desert, which has offshore fishing, phosphate reserves and oilfield potential, as its own territory. A UN-brokered ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario has held since 1991 but United Nations efforts remained deadlocked on the territory’s future.

Morocco has offered a relative degree of autonomy but flatly refuses to make any more concessions.

“Those who are waiting for any other concession on Morocco?s part are deceiving themselves”.

The Western Sahara dispute returned to the headlines last month when Morocco said it was considering a boycott of Swedish companies operating in the North African kingdom because of Sweden’s position on the conflict.

Laayoune – Images of the massive walkabout in which more than 30,000 Moroccans walked along side King Mohammed VI’s caravan in Laâyoune on Saturday evening have been going viral on social media.

Mr. Ban notes that at his direction, his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, has intensified his efforts to facilitate the entry of the parties into negotiations without preconditions and in good faith to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.