Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, has expressed his concern over the impasse in the Western Sahara political process.

During a visit with students at a university in Paris, Guterres said, “It’s a situation that, unfortunately, continues to be blocked, and I hope that it will be possible to find a way to gradually bring the two positions closer together.”

The UN official emphasized that there were two lines of action being carried out. One is the responsibility of its personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to try and reach a compromise between the Polisario and Morocco or to admit that his organization is having difficulty building confidence between the parties, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

As a result of the events in the El Guerguerat region, Guterres continued, “Unfortunately, the situation is complicated and this force (MINURSO) is finding it increasingly difficult to function, as there are obstacles on both sides to the exercise of its mandate.”

Because there is a low-intensity conflict that is still ongoing and there is no clear ceasefire, the situation is perilous. Our main aim is to prevent the issue from being oversimplified, he said.

The UN Secretary-General will provide the Security Council a report on the situation in the Sahara in October of next year. Staffan de Mistura, his envoy agent, has spoken with numerous interested parties since being appointed but has so far been unable to restart the political process, which has been stagnant since March 2019.

De Mistura insists that getting all parties to the table for a multilateral discussion of the Western Sahara issue is his top objective.

Read Also: Moroccan Sahara: Switzerland Reiterates Importance of Morocco’s Serious and Credible Efforts, Commends ‘Positively’ Autonomy Plan

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In a message marking the International Day against Islamophobia, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for action to end the “poison of hatred” against Muslims.

“The nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity. Yet they often face bigotry and prejudice for no other reason than their religion,” Guterres said, noting that in addition to structural and institutional discrimination and the general stigmatisation of their communities, Muslims are targeted as scapegoats for personal attacks and hate speech.

He noted that the triple discrimination against Muslim women on the basis of gender, ethnicity and faith is one of the worst consequences, noting that this growing hatred is part of a resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies and violence against vulnerable populations, “including Muslims, Jews, some Christian minority communities”.

To remedy this situation, the UN chief stressed the need to “strengthen our defences by promoting policies that fully respect human rights and protect religious and cultural identities”.

“We must accept that diversity is a richness and invest much more decisively, politically, culturally and economically, in social cohesion,” he said, calling for the fight against the sectarianism and hatred that is spreading like wildfire on the Internet.

Guterres also stressed that for more than a millennium, Islam’s message of peace, compassion and kindness has inspired people around the world, noting that all major religions and traditions invoke the imperatives of tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.

“These values are basically universal: they animate the UN Charter and are at the heart of our quest for justice, respect for human rights and peace,” he said on the occasion of the celebration of the day on 15 March.

Read Also: Boussouf reviews the experience of Moroccan Jews before a group of students from the diplomatic institution

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The secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, is known for always taking a fair stance, according to reliable sources. During the Guerguerat operation, in particular, and through his impartial contributions to the Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara issue

The king has long stated that the kingdom supports Guterres’ efforts to resolve this fictitious regional conflict. based on the autonomy initiative and in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.

Additionally, Morocco declares its support for Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-personal General’s envoy. Regarding the political path and MINURSO’s responsibilities for maintaining the ceasefire

The Moroccan autonomy initiative is being supported by a powerful global dynamic at the time of Antonio Guterres’ visit to Morocco. The United States and many European nations are among the 60 nations that have endorsed this initiative (Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Luxembourg and Romania). Nearly all Arab nations and most African nations (about 42% of African nations have opened consulates in the Moroccan Sahara)

On the other hand, Algeria and the “polisario” continue to defy the UN by denying MINURSO access to water and fuel for its observation posts, breaking the cease-fire, and refusing to participate in the political process via the round tables.

On the other hand, Algeria and the “polisario” continue to defy the UN by denying MINURSO access to water and fuel for its observation posts, breaking the cease-fire, and refusing to participate in the political process via the round tables.

Despite the kingdom’s policy of “trying to reach out,” according to the sources of the electronic newspaper “24 Saa” Algeria’s aggressive stance toward Morocco makes the job of the personal envoy challenging.

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“On November 23, 2022, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God be with him, welcomed Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, in the Royal Palace in Rabat.

The 9th Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, held in Fez, was a success, and the UN Secretary General thanked His Majesty the King for that. He also applauded the adoption of a robust and binding Declaration, which was more important than ever in a turbulent international environment.

Mr. Guterres applauded the Sovereign on this occasion for his unwavering dedication to advancing the principles of inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for diversity.

Mr. Guterres also applauded the Kingdom’s positive and consistent efforts to uphold and consolidate the peace, improve stability, and promote development, especially on the African continent.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2654, passed on October 27, 2022, was taken into consideration while addressing the Moroccan Sahara problem.

In this respect, His Majesty the King—may God be with Him—reiterated Morocco’s steadfast stance in favor of resolving this regional conflict on the basis of the autonomy initiative, within the framework of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.

The Sovereign reaffirmed the support of the Kingdom for MINURSO’s observance of the cease-fire as well as for the Secretary-and General’s his Personal Envoy, Mr. Stafan De Mistura, efforts to conduct the political process.

On behalf of the UN, Mr. Miguel Graca, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, and Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, respectively, attended this audience.

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Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, is currently taking part in the ninth global forum of the alliance of civilizations’ inaugural session in Fez.

The forum, which is hosted by the Spiritual Capital of the Kingdom of Morocco on the 22nd and 23rd of November, will be attended by nearly 50 member states represented at the ministerial level.

Miguel Angel Moratinos, the High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, praised His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s leadership in fostering harmony, understanding, and respect for one another.

Moratinos stated, that Morocco and His Majesty King Mohammed VI have demonstrated a model policy of mutual respect and played a crucial role in promoting peace, moderation, understanding, and reconciliation between different countries in an interview with the Arab Maghreb Press Agency (MAP) the day following the 9th Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations (AOC), held in Fez on November 22–23.

The UN High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations highlighted that Morocco is a country at a crossroads where various cultures and influences have coexisted throughout its history and that it has been and continues to be a refuge of peace and coexistence under the rule of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

The UN official highlighted that it is important to promote tolerance so that people can accept mutual respect, but it’s also important to understand one another, get to know one another better, and collaborate for a better world. Pope Francis’ visit and his meeting with HM the King further confirmed this understanding and this desire for dialogue, Antonio Guterres official noted.

The former chief of Spanish diplomacy, Moratinos, stated that Morocco maintains these principles of religious tolerance because the Jewish population there receives the highest level of recognition of any Arab nation.

HM the King had graciously agreed to hold this forum in Fez, which has a long history of religious tolerance and respect. Moratinos noted that Fez, a dynamic city that has experienced significant change, maintains all of this cultural heritage and historical legacy, making it a symbol of peace and tolerance, ensuring the success of this forum.

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AFP is once again playing a terrible role at a time when the international community has revived its hope for a peaceful solution to the regional dispute over Moroccan Sahara as a result of the appointment of a new UN Secretary-Personal General’s Envoy.

In his report on the press conference held by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday evening in New York, the AFP correspondent deliberately ignored one of the most important facts that has become the core of UN doctrine in dealing with the Sahara conflict, namely, that this conflict exists between “parties” in which Algeria plays the role of instigator and undermines all regional peace efforts.

Mr. Guterres had emphasized that it was “time for the parties to see the necessity for a dialogue leading to a solution” to the Sahara issue, and had specifically underlined “all parties,” not “the parties,” as indicated in the French Agency’s account.

According to the AFP story, the latter has abruptly broken professional ethics and journalistic accuracy norms by providing wrong findings and false claims.

As a result, the AFP correspondent, who made his goals clear from the start by referring to Morocco and “POLISARIO” as the only parties to the Algerian-initiated conflict, focused on Mr. Guterres words in an attempt to mislead anonymous readers.

Clearly, the journalist had expressed his opinion on a case in which his country was taking a completely different stance, either because he was unaware of the issues dealt with by the United Nations or because he was blinded by the behind-the-scenes confusion of some instigators acting under Algeria’s guidance.

By refusing to clarify the inaccuracy, AFP is plainly endorsing the significant professional error of its journalist as well as the hidden objectives of certain antagonistic circles in achieving a peaceful solution to the Sahara conflict in the Maghreb region.

Indeed, the AFP’s and its journalist’s clear prejudice is arguably the more problematic because it involves a political perspective on a UN-addressed topic. In this regard, it’s worth noting that the journalist in question has never mentioned the several Security Council decisions dealing with the Sahara issue, including Resolution 2602.

It’s worth noting that these resolutions use the term “parties” and specifically mention Algeria’s involvement and responsibility for the current situation.

This professional blunder by AFP joins a long line of too enthusiastic articles, remarks, and robotics that, if they need reminding, form an anti-Moroccan campaign waged by “hysterically active” circles against Morocco’s and France’s interests.

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  Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the Paris Conference on Libya, presenting the royal approach to resolving the Libyan situation and His Majesty’s desire to make Morocco a country for Libyan dialogue.

Mr. Bourita assured participants that His Majesty King Mohammed VI is closely following developments in Libya and is framed by his royal vision of Morocco commitment, which was held today under the joint chairmanship of President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, and President of the exiled Libyan Presidential Council.

Such an approach, based on respect for the Libyan people’s choice and the avoidance of guardianship, had allowed great progress to be made, beginning with the signing of the Political Agreement on Delays in December 2015.

The Minister recalled that the Bouznika Accords of 6 October 2020 made progress toward the reunification of the seven sovereign positions, that the Libyan Parliamentary Conference of 23 November 2020 facilitated the first meeting of 123 Libyan parliamentarians from East and West since 2011, and that Rabat’s commitment to December 2020 allowed representatives from the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of Libya to come closer together.

Mr. Bourita urged the Conference participants to send Libya and the international community strong and unequivocal messages.

He also urged Libya to commit to a better future in order to maintain the gains made thus far. The elections have the potential to turn the ceasefire into a sustainable peace and a final resolution of the legality issue.

Mr. Bourita emphasized the need of ensuring that the legislative framework for Libya’s elections is “consensual” and “inclusive,” noting that such rights will reinforce Libya’s sovereignty and provide the international world with access to a single Libyan axis.

After firmly expressing Morocco’s support for Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s government’s efforts, the Minister recalled that Morocco was ready to support any deal between the Libyans.

Mr. Bourita said that “Morocco is ready to support anything that Libyans agree on, and that is what Libyan brothers are well aware of,” stressing the need to change the role of the international community and Libya’s partners.

Mr. Bourita stated that “Morocco, which remained a land of dialogue where Libyan brothers met spontaneously, has always regretted that some regard Libya as a diplomatic commercial origin,” while others regard it as a proxy conflict,” adding that “What each must do is to accompany a united Libya, without preaching or interfering, in finding conditions for a lasting peace, including through disarmament, the departure of foreign mercenaries, and the reintegration of local migrating populations

Mr. Bourita continued by expressing Morocco’s support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his Personal Envoy, Ján Kubiš, in their efforts to promote peace in Libya.

It should be remembered that the Paris Conference envisions international support for the ongoing political transition and the timely staging of elections.

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI delivered, on Saturday, a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the glorious Green March.

The Royal Speech was powerful, straightforward, and bold. It addressed a number of critical issues relating to the Moroccan Sahara, including developments and challenges.

One of the most notable elements is that the Moroccanness of the Sahara is an unchanging and indisputable fact, whether owing to history, legitimacy, the Moroccan people’s strong will, or widespread international support.

His Majesty expressed his gratitude for the tangible and rising support that the Sahara case has received in the same positive spirit and appreciated the United States of America’s sovereign decision to acknowledge Morocco’s full sovereignty over the Sahara.

He also assured His Excellency the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, and his Personal Envoy of his complete support for the UN Secretary-efforts General’s to restart the political process as soon as feasible.

He stressed to those with equivocal or conflicted opinions that Morocco will not engage in any economic or commercial relationship with them that does not involve the Moroccan Sahara.

His Majesty concluded by expressing his gratitude and paying tribute to all Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the National Security Forces, the Auxiliary Forces, local government authorities, and the Emergency Services for being constantly mobilized under his stewardship to defend the unity of the homeland and preserve its security and stability.

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United Nations – In his report to the UN General Assembly, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has once again unmasked the violations, lies and false allegations of Algeria and the “polisario” on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, after doing so earlier this month in his report to the Security Council.

In this report, Guterres stresses that the issue of the Moroccan Sahara is considered by the UN as a matter of peace and security, thus as a regional dispute under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, relating to the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In addition, the UN Secretary General confirms, once again, that the final solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara can only be political, realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and compromise, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494, 2548. It reaffirms, thus, the final burial of all obsolete plans supported only by Algeria and “polisario”, including the referendum.

Resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494 and 2548, to which the solution must be fully compliant according to the UN SG, and all those that preceded them since 2007, confirm the pre-eminence, seriousness and credibility of the Autonomy Initiative as the only solution to this regional dispute, within the framework of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.

These resolutions also established the round table discussions, with the participation of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the “polisario” as the sole framework for conducting the exclusively UN political process aimed at achieving a political solution to this artificial conflict set up, nurtured and maintained by Algeria, which reaffirms, once again, the obligations of this country as a major stakeholder in the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.

In his report, the UN SG confirms, moreover, that the armed elements of the “polisario” have indeed blocked the passage of Guergarat in October and November 2020, defeating the vain attempts of the “polisario” and Algeria to conceal this truth.

It is worth to mention that following the blockage by the armed separatist militias of the “polisario” for more than three weeks, the road passage of Guergarat, between the borders of Morocco and Mauritania, in October and November 2020, Morocco undertook, on November 13, 2020, a civil engineering action by which it restored, once and for all, the free movement of people and goods in this passage.

The peaceful aspect of this intervention of the Royal Armed Forces was noted in the report of the UN Secretary General who said “no casualties were reported to the Minurso in connection with the events of November 13,” which is a strong denial of the accusations of the “polisario”, whose armed elements fled the buffer zone of Guergarat, following the intervention of FAR, as confirmed by Guterres.

The UN Secretary General also highlighted, in this report, the Royal letter underlining the “irreversible” character of the peaceful actions carried out by Morocco at the border post of El Guerguarat to re-establish free civil and commercial circulation.

The report confirms that “Morocco has remained committed to the ceasefire,” while preserving its right to respond to any provocation by the “polisario” militias. The UN SG also drew the attention of the UN General Assembly to the illegal renunciation by the “polisario” of the ceasefire, in flagrant violation of the Security Council resolutions.

In addition, Guterres welcomed Morocco’s cooperation with MUNURSO, particularly through the vaccination, by the Moroccan authorities, of its personnel.

Also, this report is distinguished by highlighting the diplomatic achievements of the Kingdom in the Moroccan Sahara during the past year. In this context, the UN SG shed light on the historic inaugurations of Consulates General by 16 countries in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.

Guterres stressed, to this effect that “Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Jordan, Libya, Malawi, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Suriname, the United Arab Emirates and Zambia have announced their intention to inaugurate or have opened Consulates General in the Sahara”. These diplomatic representations follow the 10 consulates of African, Arab, Caribbean and other countries, opened in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla for a total of 26 since December 2019, which illustrates the international and diplomatic recognition of the Moroccan Sahara.

The UN Secretary General also mentioned the historic proclamation, on December 10, 2020, by the United States, of the full and complete sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over its Sahara.

Indeed, Guterres said that “the United States has recognized the Moroccan sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara and reaffirmed its support for the serious, credible and realistic autonomy proposal of Morocco, as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to this conflict”. He also informed that on December 24, 2020, the United States announced the inauguration of a virtual consulate in the Sahara.

In addition, Guterres emphasized the economic and infrastructural development of the Moroccan Sahara, as well as the continuation of Moroccan investments in its southern provinces. He said in this regard that “on April 30, the Moroccan authorities announced the winning bid for the construction of the Atlantic port of Dakhla and that its construction is underway.

Similarly, Guterres noted the continuation of “construction work on a highway linking Tiznit to Dakhla”. Large-scale projects that several Arab countries were able to see during their on-site visit last June. Indeed, as evidenced by the Secretary-General in his report, “diplomatic delegations from Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen” visited, on 24 and 26 June 2021, Dakhla and Laayoune to “explore investment opportunities in the Sahara”.

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply condemned the Polisario severe and unjustifiable restrictions on MINURSO after its unilateral withdrawal from the ceasefire in his report to the Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara issue.

The “Polisario” is criticized in the report for obstructing (MINURSO capacity)’s to carry out its major job of supervising the ceasefire and monitoring the militias of this armed group, as well as the situation on the ground.

Mr. Guterres called the Security Council’s attention to the fact that his Special Representative and MINURSO Head have consistently criticized these limits.

Despite these protests, the “Polisario” continued to impose severe restrictions on MINURSO’s freedom of movement, preventing it from carrying out logistical and other maintenance tasks, affecting equipment repair and maintenance, as well as the supply of fuel and food to the UN Mission, forcing the situation (MINURSO) to reduce the number of its military obsessives.

The separatist movement was also urged by the United Nations Secretary-General to “immediately lift all restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of land convoys, air transport, and (MINURSO) personnel located in the east of the defense system, as well as to allow freedom of movement for logistics and maintenance.”

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