Western Sahara: AU urges UN Security Council to restore MINURSO's "full operation"

ADDIS ABABA-The African Union (AU) urged Tuesday in Addis Ababa the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and restore the "full operation" of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

The conference of AU Heads of state and government, which held its 28th ordinary session, urged in its decision on the situation in Western Sahara the Security Council "to assume its responsibilities and restore the "full operation" of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which is essential for the supervision of the ceasefire and the organization of a self-determination referendum."

African leaders also called on the UN Security Council to "find solutions to the issues of human rights and illegal exploration and exploitation of natural resources on its territory, following the decision taken by the EU on 21 December 2016 on the agreements signed in 2012 between the EU and Morocco on the mutual liberalization of trade in agricultural products and fisheries."    

The conference noted with "deep concern" the "persistent" deadlock in the search for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, and highlighted the need for "further international efforts to facilitate a "rapid" resolution of this conflict."

In this regard, the Conference reiterated its appeal to the UN General Assembly "to set a date for the self-determination referendum of the Sahrawi people and ensure the preservation of Western Sahara's integrity as a non-autonomous territory against any action that may undermine it."

Besides, the Conference reiterated the Statement adopted in its 24th and 26th ordinary session on the organization by the Crans Montana Forum, an organization under Swiss law, of a meeting on the occupied territory of Western Sahara, calling Crans Montana to stop this activity.

It also urged the member states, African civil society organizations and others sectors involved in this issue to boycott such an event.