 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons All's quiet on the western front
By Rasha SaadLast Tuesday, the Security Council unanimously approved a three-month renewal, until 31 October, of the 275-member UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The MINURSO has been trying for nearly nine years to organise a referendum to determine the future of the Western Sahara which is claimed by Morocco as an integral part of its territory. The Polisario Front, meanwhile, seeks independence for the desert region and draws its main support from Algeria. Thus, MINURSO will continue to monitor the cease-fire between Morocco and Polisario in effect since September 1991.
Meanwhile, the US seems to be pushing for a direct role in the settlement of the conflict. On 20 July, US Assistant Secretary of State Ronald Newman met with Polisario and Algerian officials in Algiers. During talks Newman assured officials of the Polisario Front that his country is still committed to the UN-backed peace settlement, which includes conducting the long-delayed referendum on self-rule for the inhabitants of the contested area. However, diplomatic sources told the London-based daily, Al-Hayat, that the main goal of Newman's talks in Algeria was to come up with alternatives to the referendum that would be acceptable to both Morocco and the Polisario.
The US visit coincided with the failure of a new round of UN-mediated talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front in Geneva over plans to conduct the referendum in the Western Sahara.
The two sides dealt mainly with technical issues including the return of refugees, confidence-building measures and identifying eligible voters. The two-day meeting was originally scheduled to end on 22 July. However, according to UN officials, the talks ended "somewhat earlier than expected."
UN special envoy and former US Secretary of State James Baker led two unsuccessful round of talks in London in May and June. Baker has planned a further round of talks in September, which will probably be held in Houston.
War broke out in the Western Sahara in 1976 after Spain abandoned the mineral rich territory and Morocco annexed it. A cease-fire was reached in 1991, along with agreement on plans to hold a referendum on whether the Western Sahara should be independent or legally integrated into Morocco. Since then, UN efforts have been thwarted by disagreements over who is eligible to vote, with the Polisario accusing Morocco of trying to pad voter lists with Moroccan supporters. The UN mission has identified 86,000 Sahrawis, people who are native to the territory, who thus have the right to cast a ballot in a referendum. However, 130,000 requests to vote were made by people deemed ineligible to participate in the referendum.
Anticipating the failure of the Geneva talks, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reiterated, in a report presented to the Security Council earlier this month, his belief that both parties should try to come up with what he described as a "third solution," other than a referendum or military confrontation. Such a solution should entail a peaceful settlement to the problem so as to avert the current impasse.
One suggestion is to implement a form of limited autonomy for Western Saharans under Moroccan sovereignty. Annan also presented reports making recommendations in this regard in December of last year and this May.
Meanwhile, a leading figure of the Polisario Front, Ma' El-Eioun Siddiq, warned in statements last week that unless the UN continued to uphold its commitment to conduct the referendum, the movement will resume military action. According to reports, the front's guerrillas have already started military preparations for a possible return to war. However, some observers suggest that the front is no longer capable of armed action against Morocco.
The balance of power is now clearly in Morocco's favour, especially since the Polisario Front has lost much of its strength in recent years. On the one hand, Algeria is still occupied with its internal problems and its confrontation with militants. On the other, international support for the Polisario has declined, with more and more countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America withdrawing their recognition of the movement in return for better relations with Morocco.
Moreover, there have been increasing reports in recent years that a split inside the Polisario Front has pushed leading figures to leave the organisation and the territory to become involved in Moroccan political life. Morocco has also invested millions of dollars to finance projects in the Sahara in an attempt to improve relations with the Sahrawis. King Mohamed VI has recently sent top government officials on several tours of the territory to listen to the demands of the Sahrawis and has promised them an elected council to run their affairs.
