Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – The United Nations has again failed to appoint a new Special Envoy for Western Sahara, a few years after the resignation of Horst Kohler.
Le Figaro and AFP published a report quoting a diplomatic source speaking on the condition of anonymity, who said that Polisario refused to accept former Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado.
The diplomat is reportedly among the candidates the UN was considering to replace Kohler, who resigned in May 2019.
“This is not the first candidate to be rejected by one of the parties” [to the conflict], the source said.
Polisario claimed the minister has a favorable position towards Morocco’s stance regarding Western Sahara.
One of the sources claimed that Morocco supported the Portuguese diplomat’s candidacy, which was a “good enough reason” for Polisario to reject him.
Parties to the conflict have long called to speed up the process of replacing Kohler, whose position has been vacant for almost two years.
Kohler resigned due to health issues, but the decision raised eyebrows and was regretted by political observers.
The former envoy’s era witnessed important developments in the dossier, particularly convincing all parties to come to the negotiating table as a prelude to a “compromise-based” political solution.
Journalists have long asked questions on why the process is taking so long, and the UN has argued that appointing a new envoy is not an easy job.
The UN repeatedly said that it has been looking for the right candidate for the position, emphasizing that the post is “critical” and that the search is still ongoing for a replacement for Kohler.
