Sahara: de Mistura points to “real momentum”, reviving hopes for a resolution to the conflict

In a particularly positive diplomatic context for Morocco, the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, stated, during a closed-door session of the UN Security Council, as cited by AFP, that there is a "real momentum" and an "opportunity" to resolve this longstanding conflict in the region.

During the meeting, de Mistura said: "Thanks to a combination of vision, timing and luck, I believe there is real momentum in this process, as well as an opportunity to resolve this conflict that has lasted for decades" concerning this region, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Last October, at the initiative of US President Donald Trump’s administration, the UN Security Council gave unprecedented backing to Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, proposed in 2007, describing it as "the most viable solution" to end this 50-year conflict.

On the basis of this decision, the United Nations and the United States have organized, since the beginning of the year, three rounds of negotiations between representatives of Morocco, the Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania. According to de Mistura, these are the "first direct negotiations in seven years."

Since the third round, there have been direct exchanges, notably of documents, between Morocco and the Polisario. A fourth round is expected to take place following this sequence.

The UN envoy added: "We have begun examining (during these negotiations) the details of what a political solution could look like," praising Morocco’s presentation of a detailed version of its autonomy plan, as requested by the UN.

While referring to the proposals and responses of the "Polisario", he called on it to "make the necessary historic concessions to reach a solution acceptable to both parties", in the interest of "future Sahrawi generations."

Morocco’s autonomy plan continues to gather support, with the latest being Austria, Switzerland and Mali.

During the closed-door session, the Security Council also heard from the head of MINURSO and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative.