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Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, spoke by telephone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov.
According to a press release from the ministry, “this meeting is part of the traditions of regular consultation between the two ministers on international and regional issues of common interest, in light of the close strategic partnership uniting the two countries.”
The two ministers held “an exchange of views on the main issues on the agenda of the Security Council, during the Russian presidency of this central body of the United Nations, at their head the question of the decolonization of Western Sahara, and on which a resolution is expected before the end of the month”, concludes the press release.
The interview between MM. Attaf and Lavrov intervene as a race against time takes place within the United Nations, particularly in the Security Council, whose member countries are preparing to submit an important resolution on the Sahrawi question.
Powers are trying to pass a binding text contrary to the demands of the Sahrawi people. The latter only requires the application of the numerous UN resolutions on the holding of a self-determination referendum and the concretization of the ceasefire agreement signed in 1991 between the Polisario Front and Morocco, a country which has occupied the territory for fifty years.
For analysts, these powers which support the Moroccan occupation want a draft resolution which would change the traditional position of the UN significantly. Thus, the proposed text wants to shorten (only 3 months instead of one year) the mandate of Minurso, to put pressure on the Polisario. These powers, including the American Administration and the French Administration, are seeking to quickly secure a peace agreement to establish the idea of “autonomy” under the Moroccan umbrella.
As a reminder, on the eve of this debate, then aware of these maneuvers and this agitation in UN circles, the Polisario Front presented an “expanded proposal” for a “mutually acceptable” solution to the conflict in Western Sahara.
For many observers, this is a gesture of goodwill of great importance, a real step towards the relaunch of peace negotiations.
This proposal was addressed by the Sahrawi President, Brahim Ghali, to the SG of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. In fact, very little is known about the detailed content of this document that Guterres should take into consideration, in addition to the report made by his special envoy to the region, Staffan Di Mistura, and the conclusions of the journeys and his consultations with the conflicting parties.
According to a Sahrawi press release, the Polisario Front says it is willing to “share the ‘costs of peace’ with the other party”, namely Morocco, if the Kingdom has the “political will, with a view to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution which guarantees the self-determination of the Sahrawi people and restores regional peace and stability”.
He affirms that he is “firmly convinced” that a peaceful, “just and lasting” solution to the Western Sahara conflict, in accordance with the relevant principles of international law, is “not only urgent, but also possible”.
In this text, the president of the SADR relaunched the option of dialogue with Morocco, reiterating the desire of the Polisario Front to “engage in direct and serious negotiations” with the Kingdom of Morocco, in “good faith and without preconditions, under the auspices of the United Nations, on the basis of the spirit and content of the expanded proposal”.