MINURSO takes first steps towards withdrawal in the Sahara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Yabiladi
After MINURSO’s mandate expired, a meeting of senior officials was held in Laayoune to discuss the mission’s withdrawal. Staff on leave were told not to return, and the contracts of Moroccan employees are to be terminated, according to a source close to the matter cited by Yabiladi.
MINURSO has begun its first administrative withdrawal measures in the Sahara after its mandate expired overnight from Saturday to Sunday, according to a source close to the matter cited by Yabiladi. A restricted meeting of senior officials was held at the mission’s headquarters in Laayoune on Saturday to discuss the arrangements for the withdrawal.
Staff on leave were instructed not to return to Laayoune, and the contracts of Moroccan staff are to be terminated. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Nepalese military personnel are also facing uncertainty over their departure, their allowances and possible reassignment to other UN operations, according to the same source.
A meeting involving civilian and military officials is scheduled for Monday 2 November in Laayoune. A UN technical commission, made up of three to five members, is also to prepare for the withdrawal of the mission’s equipment.
The end of MINURSO’s mandate follows the Russian veto of the US resolution on the Sahara on 30 October, then Morocco’s announcement on 31 October of the mission’s imminent withdrawal.
