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Join on Telegram Rabat — Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita has responded to the controversial partition proposal suggested by UN Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura.
In a strongly worded statement today, Bourita demanded clarification, asking de Mistura to identify the parties behind the “revival” of the “already dead proposal,” reiterating Morocco’s firm position against those that seek to undermine the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces.
“The idea was presented to us last April, and we dismissed it again,” he said, noting the origin of the controversial proposal made by former envoy James Baker at the suggestion of Algeria.
“Just as we rejected the initial proposal from James Baker in 2002, we have not given any attention to what appears to us to be reheated ideas,” Bourita said.
He further emphasized that Morocco does not negotiate its Sahara or its territorial integrity.
“Moroccan Sahara has never been and will never be the subject of any compromise or even discussion,” Bourita said, asking de Mistura to clarify the proposal’s source.
“What Staffan de Mistura needed to clarify is the source that has once again suggested this idea. He should have specified which parties are behind this proposal and why it was put back on the table last April, following what logic and what ulterior motives,” Bourita declared.
Last week, de Mistura’s comments on this partition proposal raised eyebrows among observers.
In a closed-door meeting at the UN Security Council, de Mistura claimed that a partition plan for Western Sahara could “allow for the creation on the one hand of an independent state in the southern parts and on the other hand the integration of the rest of the territory as part of Morocco with its sovereignty over its internationally recognized.”
Today, Bourita reiterated Morocco’s firm position that the Moroccan Autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty over its southern provinces is the only political solution to end the dispute.
“The proposal for autonomy of the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty is a conclusion and not a starting point for any negotiation,” he said.
Morocco has frequently reiterated the same position on multiple occasions, including during a meeting between a Moroccan delegation and de Mistura in New York in September.
During the meeting, the Moroccan delegation reiterated their country’s position based on the four fundamental principles as defined by King Mohammed VI. Among these principles included Morocco’s support for the UN-led political process towards finding a political solution to the lingering and decades-long dispute.
It also highlighted the importance of the continuity of UN-sponsored roundtable discussions that engage all parties to the dispute. Among these parties include Algeria, which has been reluctant to shoulder its responsibility in the dispute, hampering the UN-led political process.
Morocco also echoed its strict respect for a ceasefire by all parties as a prerequisite for the continuation of the political process.
During the meeting, the Moroccan delegation also expressed support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in seeking a realistic, pragmatic, and sustainable political solution based on compromise.
