Sahara Issue: US Reaffirms, at Security Council, Support for Autonomy Plan as ‘Serious, Credible and Realistic’ Solution

The United States on Monday reaffirmed, at the UN Security Council, its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as a “serious, credible and realistic” approach to settle the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. “The United States continues to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic,” said the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, following the adoption by the Security Council members of Resolution 2703 which extends MINURSO’s mandate until October 31, 2024. “The United States is pleased to see the Security Council reaffirm its support for the Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura and for MINURSO with the adoption of this resolution,” the diplomat pointed out. She underlined that the Security Council “sent a clear message that we must intensify efforts to advance an enduring and dignified resolution” for the Sahara issue “without further delay”. “We again call on all parties to engage with the Personal Envoy in good faith and to work for a sustainable political solution,” the diplomat added. In a warning to the armed separatist militias of the “Polisario”, the US ambassador underlined the need to respect the freedom of movement of MINURSO and to maintain a safe and regular logistics and resupply chain to its team-sites. The UN Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of MINURSO by one year, while stressing, once again, the preeminence of the Moroccan autonomy initiative to settle the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. In this new resolution, the executive body of the United Nations reaffirmed its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, presented by Morocco in 2007, as a serious and credible basis with a view to putting an end to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, as enshrined in Security Council resolutions.