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Rabat — The United Nations (UN) has clarified the context surrounding Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura’s recent Security Council briefing, including his controversial partition plan for Western Sahara.
UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq addressed questions from journalists last week regarding the envy’s controversial idea.
During the press briefing, reporters suggested that de Mistura’s plan stems from an old proposal by former envoy James Baker.
When asked if the UN Secretary General signed off on the “previously rejected proposal” for resubmission, Haq responded that he would not characterize de Mistura’s actions as a formal endorsement.
Instead, he said the envoy “is exploring ways to engage all parties involved in the dispute.”
“I wouldn’t characterize anything as a submission of a proposal. What I would say is that the personal envoy, Mr. de Mistura, was essentially briefing the Security Council on his work on the Western Sahara file,” Haq said.
He added that de Mistura “looks forward to engaging with all concerned on advancing the process constructively in the period ahead of the next closed consultations, which are expected to take place next April, in 2025, and to report on any progress.”
Haq responded to a similar question at the briefing, noting he would not “mischaracterize” what de Mistura is doing within the UN-led political process.
“He’s essentially looking with the parties and with the members of the Security Council to see what way forward there can be for Western Sahara,” he said, adding that he would not characterize “anything as a proposal that is his proposal.”
De Mistura’s controversial proposal in question raised eyebrows among observers. The proposal details that a partition plan for Western Sahara “could allow for the creation on the one hand of an independent state in the southern part, and on the other hand the integration of the rest of the territory as part of Morocco, with its sovereignty over it internationally recognized.”
The proposal comes as Rabat has been frequently stressing its position that the Autonomy Plan is the only political solution able to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Following his partition remarks, the envoy signaled that the idea has not resonated well with the international community, and subsequently that he could step down if no progress is achieved in the UN-led political process.
“If by April 2025 I have not reported significant progress and provided clarifications, I fear questions should be asked about the future modalities of UN facilitation of the political process in Western Sahara,” de Mistura stated, according to the leaked text of his intervention, as reported by the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.
In addition to Haq, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also received questions from reporters about the controversial suggested partition last week during a press briefing.
Speaking to the press, Miller acknowledged his lack of familiarity with the proposal, saying: “I haven’t reviewed the action at all or discussed it with any of my colleagues.”
He also renewed his country’s position in Western Sahara, reaffirming its support for Morocco’s territorial integrtiy.
Miller said the US policy regarding the dispute is unchanged, emphasizing the country’s continued support for the Autonomy Plan and Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
