Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Western Sahara

UN Mission mandate extended by six months

    ABIDJAN

    The Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (French acronym - MINURSO) for six months ending on 31 January 2003, the Council reported on Tuesday.

    The Council, which met in New York, agreed to extend MINURSO's mandate that was due to end on Tuesday, to give more time to allow the search for a peaceful solution to the 27-year old conflict between Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia-el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front).

    The Council called on both parties to fully cooperate with efforts to resolve their longstanding dispute, the UN reported. It urged them to cooperate with humanitarian organisations, including UNHCR, WFP and the International Community of Red Cross, which continue to provide basic needs to refugees and thousands of prisoners of war.

    The Red Cross estimates that 1,260 Moroccans are still held captive by Polisario. The Council appealed to the international community to provide generous funding to UNHCR and WFP to continue work in the area.

    Armed conflict broke out in 1975 when Morocco annexed Western Sahara, after Spain withdrew from the northwestern African territory. In 1991, both sides signed a ceasefire and allowed the deployment of MINURSO.

    MINURSO was mandated to keep the peace and organise a referendum to determine whether Western Sahara should be independent or integrated with Morocco, UN says. It has been able to maintain the peace but has not been able to hold the referendum as Morocco and Polisario continuously disagreed on who should be eligible to vote.

    Secretary-General Kofi Annan, earlier this year proposed ending the mission as one of four options to resolving the conflict. The other options were the implementation of a 1998 settlement plan which included the referendum, a revision of the draft agreement, and the division of the territory.

    Morocco has said that it would not accept the division of the territory and Polisario said that it would not accept the framework agreement as it currently stands.

    See related IRIN items:
    WESTERN SAHARA: Annan calls for Security Council decision

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join