Security Council renews United Nations mission on African soil, abstaining from Russia and Kenya
Since 1991, the Security Council has renewed the mandate for the deployment of blue helmets of the UN Mission for Western Sahara (MINURSO) 47 times. Therefore, Thursday’s vote to extend the term for another year must have been something routine. However, it turned out to be another diplomatic victory for Morocco.
The resolution, drafted by the US and approved by 13 votes, with Russia and Kenya abstaining, encourages the parties to return to the negotiating table “without preconditions”. He supports the efforts of the new envoy to the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, but without mentioning the difficulties Morocco has caused him to visit the area. And he barely mentions the collapse of the November 2020 ceasefire, which has led to a low-intensity war that the Security Council seems to be ignoring.
Moreover, in the previous resolutions it no longer mentions the referendum on self-determination demanded by the Polisario Front and the UN itself, but instead speaks of the search for “a realistic and lasting political solution” with a “spirit of compromise”, in parallel to the language of Morocco. This country has also considered it a success that Algeria is invited to participate in the negotiations, echoing the alleged responsibility attributed to it by the government of Mohamed VI.
“Once again the Security Council has failed,” lamented Sidi Omar, representative of the Polisario Front. In his view, today’s resolution “only adds more layers of confusion” to a protracted conflict that leaves the Sahrawi people “no choice but to continue and intensify their armed struggle for their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination.” and independence.”, he announced desolately. On the contrary, Morocco’s representative, Omar Hilale, interpreted with satisfaction that the result confirms “the massive support of the international community” for his country’s plan to end into a conflict he describes as “a regional struggle between Morocco and Algeria”.
Source: La Verdad
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