The United Nations Security Council has unveiled its official program for April 2021 and plans to hold a meeting devoted to the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.
After the last Security Council meeting on December 21, 2020, convened at the request of Germany following the tensions recorded in the area of El Guerguerat. The militias of the polisario separatist group had blocked a vital passage between Rabat and Nouakchott for several days, under armed threat directed against civilians and freight carriers.
This new provocation by the separatist camp came in response to the latest Security Council resolution which had extended the mandate of the Mission of Blue Helmets of MINURSO for one year. The armed separatists, housed and fed by the Algerian regime had left the Tindouf and Rabouni camps located in Algeria, had crossed the sand wall built by Morocco (which separates the two camps) to signify their rejection of the Peace Mission United Nations.
The December meeting also took place a few days after the historic recognition of the United States on December 10 of the sovereignty of Morocco over the entire territory of the Sahara, affirming that the creation of a Saharawi state was not a possible or realistic option. , and thereby restoring the map of Morocco.
While the content of the last meeting remained secret due to the nature of the latter held behind closed doors, this new session must be held in virtual mode because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the security council of which Vietnam assures the rotating presidency in this month of April.
On the program of the meeting, a report from the United Nations on its mission there, MINURSO, which monitors compliance with the ceasefire established in 1991. As such, Rabat had expressed its attachment to the cease-fire. -fire despite the attacks and violation of the Polisario, while the leaders of the armed separatist group had announced the latter’s death.
Meanwhile, leaders of the separatist group have repeatedly voiced criticism of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. They had questioned the work of UN organizations, in particular the ceasefire observation mission, Minurso.
These same separatist militias had also attacked Minurso personnel working on the spot. Their attacks were documented by the Moroccan authorities and had been mentioned in the report of the UN SG.
The new Security Council sessions on the Sahara issue will be the first of its kind that the new American administration of Joe Biden will attend. His predecessor, Donald Trump, had recognized the full sovereignty of Morocco over the Sahara, and his presidential decree had been notified to all members of the Security Council.
