The Algerian government has expressed deep disappointment over the failure to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the draft resolution presented to the UN Security Council was heavily biased in favor of Morocco, at the expense of the Polisario Front. This bias, the statement argued, made it impossible to consider the draft resolution a serious basis for reaching a fair and lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the draft resolution, proposed by the United States, showed an excessive and blatant bias in favor of Morocco. This perceived bias, according to the statement, was to the detriment of the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. The Algerian government had warned the UN Security Council members about the serious implications of the developments in the Western Sahara conflict, highlighting the risks of adopting a resolution that would legitimize the status quo on the ground.
The Algerian government also expressed concern over the deletion of the term "referendum" from the MINURSO acronym. This change, according to the statement, was a worrying political signal, as it excluded the option of a referendum, which has historically been associated with the mission's mandate and the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. The Polisario Front was also deprived of the opportunity to present its own vision and ideas for a fair and lasting solution to the conflict within the negotiating process.
The Algerian government emphasized that the draft resolution would have transformed the nature of the Western Sahara conflict from a decolonization issue to a primarily humanitarian problem. The government argued that a sustainable solution to the conflict could only be achieved through the Sahrawi people's exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the draft resolution had distorted the process of decolonization, legitimized the seizure of land by force, and emptied the right to self-determination of its substance.
Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled the efforts made by the country's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to alert UN Security Council members to the implications of the developments in the Western Sahara conflict. The minister had warned of the risks associated with adopting a resolution that would legitimize the status quo on the ground and undermine the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. The Algerian government reiterated its commitment to finding a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution that would allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination.
The Algerian government also expressed regret over the Security Council's decision not to renew MINURSO's mandate. The government believed that the draft resolution, as presented, did not provide a suitable framework for productive negotiations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the resolution would not serve the goal of establishing security and stability in the region. Algeria's position on the Western Sahara conflict remains committed to the principles and objectives of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
In conclusion, the Algerian government reiterated its commitment to a political solution that would allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination. The government emphasized that a lasting solution to the conflict could only be achieved through the Sahrawi people's free exercise of their right to self-determination, in accordance with the principles and objectives of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions. The Algerian government remains engaged in efforts to find a fair and lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
Key points
- Algeria's government expresses disappointment over the failure to renew MINURSO's mandate due to perceived bias in the draft resolution.
- The Algerian government emphasizes the importance of the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination in finding a lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
- Algeria reiterates its commitment to a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
