On 7th November 96 the then Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali, submitted yet another report to the Security Council which asked for the extension of the mandate of MINURSO (the UN force in Western Sahara) until the end of May 1997. To those of you who have been supporting the Western Sahara Campaign over the years this is probably the least surprising piece of news of the year.
We have lost count of how many times we have had to write an article like this and quite frankly it's getting a bit tedious. It must be a bit tedious having to read them as well. But if you are fed up just imagine how the Saharawi feel.
For years the Saharawi have waited for the UN to implement its own resolutions, and the POLISARIO Front even implemented a unilateral cease-fire in the hope that this would bring long-term peace to the Maghreb. The people of the Western Sahara put their faith in the integrity of the United Nations and the international community and how has that faith been repaid? The United Nations and the international community continue to delay and delay and delay again and again and again.
The inability of the United Nations to implement its own resolutions and to organise a free and fair referendum for self-determination for the Saharawi is getting beyond a joke. What is more worrying is that the POLISARIO Front is now openly talking about a return to war. This is hardly surprising. They do not wish to be forced to take up arms again to liberate their country but if the UN fails to deliver a free and fair referendum for self-determination they have few options.
The King of Morocco continues to refuse to countenance a referendum. On the 7th July 96 he stated that "with or without a referendum we shall remain in our Sahara". In November, on the 21st anniversary of the illegal occupation of Western Sahara he stated that the POLISARIO Front "still don't understand that the Sahara became Moroccan and even if we want to give the territory another aspect or legal definition, we cannot'.
The UN continues to be "even-handed" in its attribution of blame for the delay in implementation of UN Resolutions and continues to call for both sides to co-operate fully with MINURSO. The report of the Secretary General refuses to lay the blame at the door of Morocco. But countless reports coming from former MINURSO staff indicate that Morocco is intent on holding up the process of registration on preventing the publication of voter lists so far compiled, on building up troops in the occupied territory, and on repressing any indication of support for independence amongst Saharawi. The testimony of Douglas Dryden, the former US military representative to the Special Liaison Office of MINURSO featured above once again bears dramatic independent testimony to the obstruction practised by Morocco.
The Western Sahara Campaign continues to believe that the UN plan for a referendum offers the best opportunity for the Saharawi to finally achieve self-determination and for the last colony in Africa to be liberated, but we must ask the question as to who is benefiting from these continual delays? Morocco continues to extract mineral resources from occupied Western Sahara, the King continues to distract his people from problems at home by his colonial ambitions, and the rich fishing grounds off the Saharan coast continue to provide rich pickings for European trawlers. The POLISARIO Front of the Saharawi has called for open and direct negotiations with Morocco to try and put the referendum back on track - this call continues to be ignored.
The Security Council accepted the report of the Secretary General and asked for a new report on 28 February 1997. In the meantime MINURSO will endeavour to resolve the deadlocks caused by Moroccan intransigence through diplomacy... again!
Or, write to the Western Sahara Campaign
WSC Office
Oxford Chambers
Oxford Place
LEEDS
LS1 3AX
Telephone/Fax: 0113 245 4786
International: +44 113 245 4786