Changes have been made at the Polisario level in recent days. The Sahrawi terrorist group has “exceptionally” authorized the UN observation mission, Minurso, to access the east of the Moroccan Wall of Sands after having blocked it by armed elements.
Within the framework of the consultations carried out by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General of the UN, Staffan de Mistura, on the Sahara file, new developments are revealed before an upcoming presentation by the diplomat before the Security Council.
As usual, the Polisario blows hot and cold to continue to perpetuate the conflict by clinging to an impossible, illegitimate and unacceptable claim.
Last week, separatist elements hampered the work of the UN mission responsible for inspecting the scene and reporting to the Security Council.
The militia financed by Algeria which seeks to seize the Moroccan Sahara, had blocked manu militari, the passage and the access of a Minurso convoy to the east of the Moroccan defensive wall in the vicinity of Smara.
A Minurso report was sent to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, by the peacekeepers following this not isolated incident which recalls the armed intrusion, in 2020, of Polisario elements at the border post of El Guerguerat and blocking the passage of civilians for more than 20 days.
This week, the Polisario ended up authorizing the passage of peacekeepers, following a letter signed by the leader of the armed group, Brahim Ghali, addressed to the SG of the UN. In this message, he specifies that his armed elements will not hinder the observation mission “on an exceptional and provisional basis”.
The UN reacted to this incident without explaining it or condemning the actions of the separatist militia. The spokesman for the UN, Stéphane Dujarric, on the contrary, congratulated himself on having concluded an agreement with ” the parts “, without naming the Polisario. However, he mentioned “the resumption of hostilities” since the Polisario unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire agreement after the events in El Guerguerat.
“Our colleagues there recall that the resupply of these Team-Sites East of the Berm was an issue we had discussions with the parties on”he said at a press conference, citing the conclusion of “agreements” plural, a ” good news “ which allows ” that a new convoy leaves as soon as possible”.
This new development comes the day after the announcement, Tuesday, by Stéphane Dujarric, of a series of consultations between Staffan de Mistura and the parties to the conflict and the parties interested in the Sahara issue.
These bilateral and informal consultations will be used by the diplomat to update the Security Council on the situation in his quarterly briefing. De Mistura has already met the representatives of the Polisario, Algeria as well as France, Russia, Great Britain, in New York. He still has to meet the representatives of Morocco, Spain and the United States.