Bourita says Rabat anticipated Russian veto on the Sahara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Yabiladi
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita says Rabat had anticipated Russia’s veto of the US draft on the Sahara and prepared its strategy. Morocco now wants to challenge the UN framework for the issue after both texts failed at the Security Council, according to Bourita.
Morocco had been informed in advance of the possibility of a Russian veto against the US draft resolution on the Sahara and had prepared its strategy accordingly, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said on Saturday 31 October on Morocco’s second television channel, according to Yabiladi.
Rabat did not seek to persuade Moscow to abandon its opposition after assessing the consequences of a veto for its interests, Nasser Bourita explained. Morocco instead regarded the failure of the two texts at the Security Council as an opportunity to challenge the UN framework for the issue.
The US draft, backed by 11 Security Council members, notably provided for Morocco’s autonomy plan to serve as the basis for negotiations and for the mandate of MINURSO to be redefined. The Russian text seeking to renew the mission without changes received only three votes, while Russia’s veto blocked the US draft. MINURSO’s mandate therefore ended at midnight on 31 October, New York time, according to Yabiladi. The announcement comes after the Russian veto of the US resolution on the Sahara on 30 October and the 11 votes received by the US draft on 31 October.
