Sahara: Staffan De Mistura ends his informal consultations

The personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Staffan De Mistura has completed his bilateral talks with the parties involved in the Sahara issue and informed Antonio Guterres.

This week, Staffan De Mistura met with all the parties involved in the Sahara issue, starting with Algeria, the Polisario, then Mauritania and Morocco, as well as Western countries indirectly involved in the situation, namely Spain, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France.

He conducted “informal and bilateral consultations,” terms designed to appease the wrath of the Algerians, who had previously refused to take part in the UN-initiated roundtables, even though Security Council resolutions had formally urged them to do so.

These “informal” bilateral discussions have mainly helped the personal envoy of Antonio Guterres to take stock before the next session of the UN Security Council scheduled for April where Staffan De Mistura must deliver a presentation of the situation.

The UN announced on Monday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received on Thursday evening his personal envoy for the Sahara to discuss the results of the “informal and bilateral consultations” that de Mistura held earlier in the week and to discuss ways to relaunch the political roundtable process to move the issue forward.

Last October, the latest UN resolution on the Sahara stated that the Security Council “strongly urges” Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario, and Mauritania to engage with the Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, throughout the process with a realistic spirit and commitment.

 

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