By NNN-MAP
New York (United Nations) : The United Nations Security Council held, on Friday, consultations about the Sahara issue, opposing Morocco to the Algerian-backed separatist movement Polisario.
Held in the presence of UN personal envoy, Peter Van Walsum, these consultations were marked by widespread support for the negotiations process in a respect to the “letter and substance” of the 1754 resolution, except for an isolated, hostile, and counter-productive attitude of South Africa’s representative.
“The Council members have expressed their support for the negotiation process and invited the parties to embark on substantial talks in a respect of the letter and the substance of the resolution 1754,” the Council’s current President and Ghanaian ambassador, Leslie Kojo Christian told the press.
The Ghanaian ambassador said the fifteen members “reiterated the parties’ responsibility to reach a final agreement, and expressed their support for the prolongation of the MINURSO mandate which expires by next Wednesday.”
The negotiations on the Sahara, according to many diplomats, took place in a “serene and consensual” way, which reflects the international community support for Morocco’s “serious and credible” efforts.
The South-African representative was the only one to protest against this increasing support for the Moroccan proposal.
“Unfortunately there’s still a desperate attempt by some of the countries that support Morocco to try and make it sound like the Moroccan proposal is the answer,” South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told reporters.
“This jeopardizes negotiations that should be conducted with no foreign interference,” he added.
In his latest report to the Security Council, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon called upon the parties involved in the Sahara issue to engage in “more substantive negotiations.”
Ban’s report also called the Security Council, due to convene next Wednesday, to renew the MINURSO’s mandate to April 30, 2008.
Morocco and Polisario held two rounds of U.N. led talks in June and August in Manhasset (outskirts of New York). A Third round is expected but no date or venue have been set yet.