FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[NEW YORK – 27
April, 2018]
Today the UN Security
Council voted to extend the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara (MINURSO) for a period of six months.
The Frente POLISARIO
takes note of this development and in particular the short renewal period which
reflects the need for an urgent resumption of the UN political process. The
POLISARIO reiterates its commitment to enter into a time-bound process of
direct negotiations with Morocco to finally allow for the exercise by our
People of our inalienable right to self-determination and independence in
accordance with the United Nations doctrine on Decolonization.
The Frente Polisario
notes that through this resolution, the Security Council is insisting on the
resumption of the negotiations without any precondition and in good faith. It
is a clear and strong message to Morocco which has always subjected any
engagement in the negotiations to preconditions, and has always put obstacles
to alter any progress toward a political solution that guarantees our right to
self-determination,as it was
underlined three times in the current resolution
We hope that the
six-month mandate renewal will be used as a lever to ensure a swift return to
the negotiating table; and we wish to reiterate, on behalf of the people of
Western Sahara, that we will accept nothing less than the full respect of our right to self-determination and
independence.
We remain hopeful about
the efforts of Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Mr. Horst Köhler, but the
Security Council must stand up to Moroccan bullying through firm action to make
real progress and put an end to Moroccan permanent blackmail.”
However, the POLISARIO regrets that this year’s
Security Council resolution on Western Sahara has given undue credence to
Morocco’s fabrications, although it was crystal
clear, to all that such baseless allegations are an obvious and predictable
tactic that is designed to distract attention away from the political process.
It should also be recalled that, as
reaffirmed by the spokesman of the Secretary-General on 19 April 2018, the
locality of Bir Lehlou – where the UN has a team site – is not located in the
buffer strip nor in the restricted areas as defined by the ceasefire and the
Military Agreement No. 1, signed by both parties under UN auspices.
Frente POLISARIO administrative
functions and military forces have always been present in Bir Lahlou and other
parts of the liberated area of our country. This presence is not in
contravention of the terms of the ceasefire or the Military Agreement No. 1.
Furthermore, it is the Frente POLISARIO
institutions that ensure the security and water supply of the MINURSO team
sites in these areas.
We urge the Security Council and the
International Community to call on Morocco to stop its violations of the United
Nations resolutions and the agreement we both signed with UN and to refrain
from its actions aimed at changing the status quo in the occupied territories
west of the berm of shame. The Security Council needs to address the Moroccan
threat to resort to force communicated to it officially. This is indeed the
destabilizing action the whole international community need to stand against.
MINURSO
Coordinator Mhamed Khadad
Frente
POLISARIO
