UN extends W Sahara mission
2003-10-29 13:20
New York - The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended the 12-year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another three months, with no end to the standoff between Algeria and Morocco in sight.
Morocco has rejected a plan backed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that would lead to a referendum on self-rule for the disputed territory, where the Algerian-backed Polisario Front movement wants independence.
In a report to the council, which voted 15-0 for the extension, Annan said UN peacekeepers should be extended until the end of January in order to try to find a resolution, even though Rabat opposes the latest proposal.
"It is my sincere hope that, by that time, the kingdom of Morocco will be in a position to engage positively in implementing the plan," Annan wrote.
"If not, I will revert to the Security Council in January with my views on the future of the peace process."
Morocco annexed the mostly-desert coastal region in 1975 and a long war with the Polisario ensued.
UN peacekeepers arrived in 1991 but with their mission having already cost more than $500m, some nations want to pull out the troops.
Under the latest plan, crafted by UN envoy and former US secretary of state James Baker, Western Sahara would have autonomy during a five-year transition period followed by a referendum on sovereignty.
Baker proposed a different plan two years ago that was accepted by Morocco but rejected by the Polisario, which insisted on a vote on independence.
One sticking point is the fate of more than 100 000 refugees who fled in 1975 and now live in Polisario camps in Algeria.
There are also more than 900 Moroccan prisoners of war held by the Polisario, most of whom have been in detention for more than 20 years.
"The peace plan represents a fair and balanced approach to the question of Western Sahara, providing each side some but perhaps not all of what it wants," Annan wrote.
"I urge Morocco to seize the opportunity and positively engage in the process."