Algiers criticises non-renewal of MINURSO mandate in the Sahara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Algérie Eco
The Algerian government criticised the non-renewal of MINURSO’s mandate in the Sahara and accused the Security Council draft resolution of favouring Morocco. Algiers reiterated its support for a political solution guaranteeing the Sahrawi people’s self-determination, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.
The Algerian government criticised the non-renewal of the mandate of MINURSO, the UN mission in the Sahara, according to a statement issued by Algeria’s foreign ministry on Saturday. Algiers reiterated its support for a political solution that guarantees the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
The ministry said the draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council favoured Morocco at the expense of the Polisario Front. According to the statement, the final text adopted the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat as the sole basis for negotiations, thereby excluding other settlement options in Algiers’ view. The Algerian government also expressed concern over the removal of the letter “R” from the acronym MINURSO, which refers to the referendum.
The ministry said Algeria’s foreign minister had written to Security Council members before the vote to warn them against a resolution that, according to Algiers, would endorse a territorial fait accompli. The statement came after Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reiterated the right to self-determination in the Sahara on 30 October, and after Algerian and Russian foreign ministers discussed the conflict in Moscow on 27 October. It also forms part of Algeria’s diplomatic efforts on the issue, including its bringing the Sahara conflict closer to the Palestine issue at the UN.
