De Mistura Briefs Guterres on Western Sahara Ahead of UN Security Council Meeting
De Mistura Briefs Guterres on Western Sahara Ahead of UN Security Council Meeting
New York, NY – In anticipation of his briefing to the UN Security Council, Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, has presented his report to Secretary-General António Guterres. The report details de Mistura’s latest efforts to revive talks between the parties involved in the Western Sahara conflict.
De Mistura is expected to deliver a summary of diplomatic developments concerning Western Sahara since the adoption of Resolution 2703 on October 30, 2023, during a closed-door session with the Security Council.
The decades-long dispute over Western Sahara, a territory rich in phosphates and fishing waters, has been a source of regional tension. Morocco claims sovereignty over the region, while the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi liberation movement, seeks self-determination for the indigenous Sahrawi people.
The UN has been involved in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict since 1991, with the goal of holding a referendum on self-determination for the Sahrawi people. However, progress has been stalled for years due to disagreements over the terms of the referendum and the status of the territory.
De Mistura’s efforts to restart negotiations come at a critical juncture. The conflict has seen renewed tensions in recent years, with the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement in 2020. The international community is increasingly concerned about the humanitarian situation in the region, particularly for the Sahrawi refugees living in camps in Algeria.
The Personal Envoy’s report and his briefing to the Security Council are expected to provide insights into the current state of the negotiations and the potential for a breakthrough in the near future. The international community will be watching closely for any signs of progress towards a just and lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
