UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2020) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed great concern about the possible consequences of the escalating tensions between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a partially recognized political entity in Western Sahara, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Friday.
Earlier in the day, SADR ambassador in Algeria Abd al-Qadir Talib Omar told Sputnik that Morocco had launched attacks and violated the 1991 ceasefire signed with the Sahrawi rebel movement Polisario Front seeking independence for Western Sahara, and the United Nations bears part of responsibility for its continuous reluctance to call out the attacks.
"In recent days, the United Nations, including the Secretary-General, has been involved in multiple initiatives to avoid an escalation of the situation in the Buffer Strip in the Guerguerat area and to warn against violations of the ceasefire and the serious consequences of any changes to the status quo," Dujarric said. "The Secretary-General regrets that these efforts have proved unsuccessful and expresses grave concern regarding the possible consequences of the latest developments."
Dujarric said Guterres and other senior UN officials have been working tirelessly over the past few days to avoid the current escalation.
Guterres remains committed to making the utmost effort to avoid the collapse of the 1991 ceasefire and stands ready to remove all obstacles to the resumption of the political process, Dsujarric also aid.
The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), established by the UN Security Council resolution in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between the Polisario Front and Morocco, has called to provide full freedom of movement in order to continue implementing its mandate on the ground. It also has sent a special civil-military team to Guerguerat, Dujarric added.
