Latest news with #DeMistura
Ya Biladi
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Sahara : De Mistura aligns with roadmap outlined by the Trump administration
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura presented a report on the situation in Western Sahara to members of the Security Council during a closed-door session last night. According to AFP, De Mistura emphasized that the next three months represent a key opportunity to produce a regional de-escalation and separately a reenergized roadmap towards the resolusion of the Western Sahara conflict». This note of «optimism» comes just days after De Mistura's April 9 meetin g in Washington with a former member of the Trump administration. Following this encounter, and according to leaked information, UN Secretary-General Antanio Guterres has extended De Mistura's mandate for another year, through the end of 2026. An official announcement is expected in the coming days. To recall, the Italian-Swedish diplomat had expressed a desire to resign last October during a meeting of the Security Council's 15 members. The Trump Factor This development follows renewed support from the Trump-era political sphere for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. The United States has also called on all parties to engage in negotiations based on Morocco's autonomy initiative, within the framework of the kingdom's sovereignty. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio reaffirmed, in a statement following his April 8 meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, «President Trump's urging for the parties to engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the only framework, to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution». De Mistura's proposed roadmap appears to align with this approach. After the Security Council session on April 14, the Polisario Front insisted that «the Western Sahara issue remains on the United Nations agenda, despite Moroccan propaganda». Just hours earlier, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Omar Hilale, told Medi1 TV that he hoped the 50th anniversary of the Green March, to be marked on November 6, 2025, would be celebrated «under better conditions». «As De Mistura mentioned, the coming months will be crucial for resolving the conflict», a Moroccan source close to the dossier told Yabiladi. «Morocco is actively working to have the issue removed from the UN's Fourth Committee, pointing out that it was the kingdom that originally filed the matter—before the creation of the Polisario and even before Algeria's independence—so that it would be treated as a regional dispute primarily involving Morocco and Algeria». This Moroccan push faces resistance from Algeria. Between April 2 and 10, the Algerian ambassador in Moscow held three meetings with senior Russian diplomats in an effort to counter Morocco's momentum. Algiers is relying on Moscow's support to mitigate its diplomatic losses and maintain its position. So far, Russia has not commented on the United States' reaffirmation of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara on April 8. Moscow had previously criticized former President Donald Trump's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty on December 10, 2020.
Morocco World
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
De Mistura's Favorable Tone on Autonomy Plan Could Strike Nerve Among Pro-Polisario Advocates
Rabat – UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura has called for a detailed discussion on the Moroccan Autonomy Plan on Western Sahara, which has been receiving international consensus as the only feasible political solution to end the regional dispute. De Mistura briefed the UN Security Council on Western Sahara during a closed-door meeting on Monday, where he acknowledged diplomatic momentum, including the unwavering support for Morocco's autonomy initiative from major powers like the US. AFP quoted de Mistura's speech, in which he recalled the statements made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week during the visit of Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita to Washington. He notably recalled Rubio's reaffirmation of the US support for Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces, and the country's position in favor of the 'genuine autonomy' and a 'mutually acceptable solution' that the US is prepared to actively facilitate. De Mistura stressed that the US statements echo 'what I believe and what I am calling for – the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative must be explained in detail, and a clear meaning must be given to the prerogatives that would be granted to a truly autonomous Western Sahara.' The UN envoy stressed that the next three months should serve as an opportunity to confirm 'how this new momentum, based on renewed active engagement from some Council members, including permanent ones, can lead to regional de-escalation,' he said. The new statement reflects a remarkable shift in tone and a more engaged posture toward the Moroccan autonomy initiative. A call for detailed discussions suggests the envoy and the UN's willingness to move beyond the traditional approaches taken throughout the past decades, signaling that the international body is ready to engage with the autonomy initiative as a political framework. The UN Security Council and its permanent members have long emphasized the importance of the initiative as part of Morocco's efforts, describing it as a serious and credible political solution. However, de Mistrua's remarks show that Morocco's stance has become clearer and firmer, stressing that negotiations can only take place within the framework of the Moroccan autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty over its southern provinces. Notably absent from reports on de Mistura's speech were references to self-determination or referendum, longstanding demands by the Polisario Front and its primary backer, Algeria. This omission is likely to strike another nerve among pro-Polisario supporters, who continue to push outdated claims to challenge Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara. Algeria's regime, which harbors the Polisario Front on its soil, received new blows to its maneuvers, with both the US and France reiterating their unchangeable and unwavering support for Morocco's territorial integrity. Last week, US Secretary Rubio explicitly stated that 'genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution,' while pledging to facilitate progress toward this objective. The Secretary urged parties to 'engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the only framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.' Lisa Kenna, US Under Secretary, reinforced her country's position during a meeting with de Mistura earlier this week, noting that the US position confirms the viability of the genuine autonomy under Mosotocco's sovereignty as the only feasible political solution to the dispute. France echoed the same stance in a statement today, with the Quai d'Orsay noting that France's position on Western Sahara is unchanged. France reiterated its position, recalling the letter Emmanuel Macron sent to King Mohammed VI in July last year, stating that 'the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.' The Autonomy Initiative has received support from over 100 countries in the international community, viewing it as a good basis to put an end to the longstanding and prolonged regional dispute amid Algeria's reluctance to assume its responsibility or engage in the UN-led political process. Among other developments that de Mistura mentioned during the briefing was the short-lived reconciliation between France and Algeria. Tensions between the two countries have escalated due to Algeria's reluctance to accept the return of its nationals subject to deportation orders by Paris. The two countries had shown brief signs of improving ties, but tensions flared again when Algeria's regime ordered 12 staff members of the French embassy to leave its territory within 48 hours. This came after France detained a consulate agent in France on Saturday. De Mistura briefed the council on what he described as a normalization of ties between Paris and Algiers in early April. AFP, however, noted that tensions have since resurfaced between the two countries. De Mistura also recalled that no improvement in relations between Algeria and Morocco took place. Morocco has been calling on Algeria's regime to engage in a frank and direct dialogue under the King Mohammed VI initiative to tackle the political stalemate. Algeria, however, turned a deaf ear to the initiative and has long sought to undermine Morocco's territorial integrity through its unwavering support for the Polisario separatist claims. Beyond Western Sahara, Algeria's regime intensified accusations against Morocco, which prompted Algiers' decision to cut ties with Rabat in 2021. Tags: Algeria and the Western Saharastaffan de mistura
Ya Biladi
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
UN Security Council to address Western Sahara issue in mid-April
The French presidency of the United Nations Security Council has scheduled a special session on the Western Sahara issue, set to take place on April 14, according to the provisional program published on the UN website. This session comes just days after a delegation from the French embassy in Rabat visited the headquarters of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in Laayoune. There, they met with senior UN officials to discuss recent developments on the ground between the Royal Armed Forces and the Polisario Front. The session also coincides with preparations for the anticipated visit of UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to the Tindouf camps. De Mistura had previously visited Rabat on March 24, where he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. During the meeting, Morocco reaffirmed its support for UN efforts to reach a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution, based exclusively on its autonomy initiative within the framework of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, the Polisario Front, ahead of de Mistura's visit, reiterated its stance on «the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and independence».
Ya Biladi
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Western Sahara : Ahead of Mistura's visit, Polisario reiterates its demands
In the coming days, the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, will visit the Tindouf camps, the Polisario's permanent secretariat announced in a statement released on Friday, March 27. «As we await Staffan de Mistura's visit to the Sahrawi side», the Polisario Front «reaffirms its commitment to constructive cooperation with the United Nations to advance the political process. This process must lead to the decolonization of Western Sahara, ensuring the Sahrawi people their inalienable right to self-determination and independence», the statement added. Earlier this week, De Mistura began his regional tour by meeting with key parties to the Western Sahara dispute, starting with a visit to Rabat. On Monday, he held talks with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Ambassador Omar Hilale, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN. During the meeting, the Moroccan delegation emphasized «the international momentum led by King Mohammed VI in support of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara and the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative», the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In the coming weeks, De Mistura is expected to brief the UN Security Council on the latest political developments regarding the Sahara, following the adoption of Resolution 2756 on October 31, 2024.
