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UN envoy for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura has proposed a contentious proposal to partition the Western Sahara region in southern Morocco.
He called for dividing the region between Morocco and the Polisario as a potential solution to the decades-long Sahara dispute, Reuters reported today.
De Mistura made his proposal during a closed-door briefing to the Security Council, arguing that partitioning the territory could enable the establishment of an independent state in the disputed region while allowing the remaining area to be integrated into Morocco.
Morocco has firmly rejected any solution that falls outside of the framework of the Moroccan autonomy initiative, a 2007 proposal that has won overwhelming international backing in recent years.
De Mistura’s suggestion is unprecedented, with his appointment as the UN pointman for Western Sahara coming at a time — in 2021 — when the UN-led process appeared to have already made peace with the impossibility of creating a breakaway state in the region. Instead, for the past two decades, the UN has been pushing for a politically negotiated solution in line with the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
Indeed, most recent UN envoys for the Sahara have consistently viewed Morocco’s autonomy plan as a viable effort toward achieving an agreed and mutually acceptable political solution to the dispute.
De Mistura’s proposal not only contradicts Morocco’s established position that any resolution must align with the autonomy plan, but it also threatens to create further deadlock in the already complex dispute.
The UN-led political process has been marred by diplomatic stagnation and political deadlock, largely due to Algeria’s reluctance to take responsibility as a key party in the dispute.
For years, the Algerian regime – which hosts, finances, arms, and supports the Polisario Front, has declined calls by the UN to engage in the ongoing political process, including UN-moderated roundtable discussions.
Despite this reluctance, the UN has failed to get Algeria to participate in the political process. Instead, the organization contents itself with merely stating Security Council resolutions and annual reports that all parties involved in the Sahara dispute, including Algeria, should shoulder their responsibilities and contribute to a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.
The Moroccan government, along with King Mohammed VI, has recently reminded the international community of the four fundamental principles underpinning the dispute.
In September, a Moroccan delegation met with de Mustura to reaffirm that the autonomy initiative is the only viable solution to the regional dispute.
The delegation also emphasized the continuity of UN-sponsored roundtable discussions that engage all parties to the dispute, including Algeria.
Morocco also echoed its strict respect for a ceasefire by all parties as a prerequisite for the continuation of the political process.
Earlier this month, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI reiterated this position, noting that the autonomy plan is the sole basis for reaching a final solution to the conflict within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.
He also highlighted that the initiative enjoys broad support from an increasing number of countries from around the world.
“Morocco will never waver in its position. Our country will remain open to its Maghreb and regional environment, thereby contributing to the achievement of joint development, and to the security and stability of the peoples in the region,” the King said on October 11.
