24 November 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is concerned by the growing tension between the parties to the Western Sahara negotiations, which have increased following the recent detention of several groups of Saharawi activists.
"The Secretary-General has urged both parties to continue to cooperate with his Personal Envoy, Mr. Christopher Ross, in seeking to schedule another set of talks and to work together to achieve progress toward a mutually agreed political solution," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.
Mr. Ross has been leading talks between Morocco and the Frente Polisario to resolve the dispute, which began when fighting broke out between them after Spain's colonial administration of Western Sahara ended in 1976.
The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire reached in September 1991 and organizing a referendum on self-determination in the territory.
Morocco has presented a plan for autonomy, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the territory's final status should be decided in a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an option.
The most recent talks, held in Austria in August, concluded with a commitment from both parties to continue negotiations as soon as possible.
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God bless you, sister Aminatou Haidar. Please eat again on entering back to Morocco. And continue to educate us on the region of Western Sahara. I am Canadian and have only heard of Morocco and the Western Sahara region via the wonderful movie "The Battle of Algeiers." Probably like most of North American people.
We applaud the bravery in resisting French occupation and oppression. We wish self-determination for all people. That said, we Know so very little ! Our media is controlled by the racist Donald Trumps and Fox News, so those of us under 40 have not heard of you, Morocco or the Western Sahara.
But we embrace life -- and your struggle! God bless you Sister Aminatou Haidar -- we will continue to follow your righteous struggle. A hundred kisses and fist-bumps for freedom! Praise God for your life.
Our brothers and sister together with the country, "Western Sahara" Must, Should and Need to be free. Why is that part of the world which is especially in Africa is still being colonize and our brothers and sisters are living in hell ?? Why ??? Moroccans should be ashame of themselves of the ways they are mistreating their African brothers and sisters in Western Sahara. One major question, is there any strenght in divisiveness or in unity ??? Please answer this question for me because in Africa we NEED Unity.
Au lieu d etre hypocrite de cette naliere, l espagne devrait rendre sebta et mellilia au maroc.
i hope that international community willput the same pressures on israel to let palestinians go back to their country. There are people dying in gaza every day and the only comment we are getting is the right of defense of israel.
It's about time for Africa Elites and the African Union to keep standing up firmly for the righteousness of Africa. Western Sahara has being under colonization far too long. If we "Africans" have intensive patrotic believe, it's time to free Western Sahara and our brothers and sisters from the boundage and destruction of which they are facing in Western Sahara. With that say, let freedom ring soon for Western Sahara. May God Bless Africa.
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