C24: Union of Comoros Reaffirms its Support to Autonomy Plan

The Union of Comoros has reaffirmed its support to the autonomy plan as the compromise solution to solve regional dispute over Moroccan Sahara. During the annual meeting of the Committee of 24 (C24) of the UN, Comorian Delegation declared its country’s support to political process, conducted under the exclusive auspices of UN Secretary General, aiming at reaching a political, realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and compromise-based solution to this dispute, as recommended by the 18 Security Council resolutions since 2007. On this occasion, the delegation welcomed the holding of the two round-table discussions in Geneva with the participation of Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and the “polisario”, in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council, in particular the 2602. In this regard, the Delegation has encouraged the efforts made by the Personal Envoy of the UN SG for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura for the resumption of this process with the four participants and in the same format in accordance with Security Council resolution 2602. On the same occasion, Comorian Delegation congratulated Morocco for the “democratic” and “successful” legislative elections held in September 2021, as well as for the dynamic socio-economic development underway in the southern provinces, under the new development model. “This model has enabled the empowerment of the people of the Moroccan Sahara and to raise the Human Development Indexes,” the delegation said, highlighting the participation of elected representatives of Moroccan Sahara, from the last elections, to the regional seminars of the C24 and the two roundtables held in Geneva. The Delegation also welcomed major achievements of Morocco in southern provinces, especially in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, through a large vaccination campaign. Recalling that the Comoros country has opened a consulate general in Laayoune in 2019, the Comorian Delegation hailed the opening of several other consular offices in this region, “which is an undeniable impetus to support the ongoing political process.” Hailing Morocco for respecting the ceasefire in the Sahara, the Union of Comoros called on other parties to comply with the ceasefire, “because the security and stability of the entire region depends on it”. In addition, Comorian Delegation expressed its concern about the situation of the populations of Tindouf camps, insisting on the need to proceed, as soon as possible, to their registration, in accordance with international humanitarian law, the mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the recommendations of the UN Secretary General and in accordance with all the Security Council resolutions.