Washington Supports Resumption of Negotiations Between Morocco, Polisario

Rabat – On Thursday, the US embassy to Algeria expressed its support for the resumption of the Morocco-Polisario negotiations, with the aim of reaching a solution to end the Western Sahara conflict.

The embassy’s remarks came prior to the annual report of United Nations, which is expected later in April.

The US embassy made its statement after US Ambassador to Algeria John P. Desrocher’s two-day visit to the Tindouf camps in Algeria.

According to Anadolu Agency, the US “strongly” supports the talks between the main parties to the conflict intended to reaching a “just and mutually acceptable” solution to end the conflict.

Quoting the embassy, the news source added that the US offered more than USD 8.5 million as part of its humanitarian aid to the Sahrawi refugees.

Earlier in March, Morocco made its stance on the Western Sahara conflict clear in a meeting with the United Nations Personal Envoy, Horst Kohler.

A delegation led by Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita stressed that Morocco’s firm principles must be taken into account during the settlement process.

King Mohammed VI emphasized these principles in a speech he made in conjunction with the 42nd anniversary of Morocco’s Green March.

Desrocher’s visit came only one week after the US Congress reaffirmed its support of Morocco in the conflict by including the Western Sahara in Morocco’s aid provisions in the Appropriations Bill, approved on Thursday, March 22.

The US Congress also referred to the need for more control over the aid sent to the Tindouf camps in Algeria, where an unidentified number of refugees currently live. This decision is likely tied to reports of corruption and embezzlement by the Polisario members in the camps.

Morocco has been reluctant to re-launch negotiations with Polisario, as the separatist front has been carrying out several illegal maneuvers in UN restricted areas in recent months.

Morocco and the United Nations have strongly condemned the illegal operations by the separatist front in the buffer zones of Western Sahara.

Recently, the UN Security Council expressed its concerns over the situation in the buffer zone of Guerguerat.

After the meeting between UN officials, Dutch ambassador to the UN Karel van Oosterom said that that “the members of the Security Council expressed their concern out the situation in Guerguerat,” emphasizing the importance of “maintaining the status quo, as mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General,” issued in April 2017.