Rabat – Russian diplomat Alexander Ivanko, the UN secretary-special general’s envoy in the Sahara and the head of MINURSO, has been accused by the Algerian press of being compromised by Morocco.
The Algerian media accused Ivanko of being corrupted by Morocco by claiming that he had purchased a property in Laayoune, the headquarters of MINURSO.
Ivanko has resided in Laayoune ever since his August 2021 appointment as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.
The UN has highlighted that it is not illegal for UN personnel to purchase real estate for their own housing during their mission, yet pointed out that Ivanko has not bought a property in Laayoune.
“The head of MINURSO is facing serious charges. The Russian Alexander Ivanko, special representative of the UNSG for the Sahara, and head of MINURSO would have acquired a property in Laayoune. Is this ethical or legal?” wrote Le Soir d’Algérie, an Algerian news outlet, in its latest article titled “Scent of scandal at MINURSO: its head is accused of being corrupted by Morocco.”
The newspaper claims that the UN spokesman was evasive when asked about the issue, while Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric was unequivocal during his regular news conference on Tuesday.
“The special representative of the UN mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has not bought a house in Laayoune, as wrongly reported by several media,” he said. He even added that there is absolutely nothing illegal about UN personnel acquiring real estate.
Despite the UN spokesman’s assurances, the Algerian press continued their media frenzy, claiming that MINURSO’s legitimacy is under threat.
It appears that Algeria is targeting MINURSO for a reason. Algeria appears to have lost faith in the UN mission ever since the Security Council started removing references to the need for the organization of a referendum in the Sahara, instead favoring an exclusively political solution.
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