Sahara: Morocco Accepts UN Envoy’s Invitation for Round Table in Geneva

Morocco will take part in the round table on the Sahara issue to which Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario were also invited, Moroccan government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi said.

At the end of September, UN envoy for the Sahara Horst Kohler sent an invitation to the three north African countries in addition to the Polisario separatists to meet up for direct talks in Geneva in December.

Speaking to the press, Khalfi said Morocco will take part at the direct talks after Algeria was also invited, confirming Morocco’s argument that no solution to the Sahara issue is possible as long as Algeria is not included.

In a previous letter to the UN Secretary General, Morocco stressed Algeria’s responsibility in creating and perpetuating the conflict over Morocco’s southern provinces as Algiers continues to host, arm, train and back the Polisario militias diplomatically and financially.

Khalfi also underscored that Morocco continues to gather support for its territorial integrity at the international level, citing notably the recent endorsement expressed by South Sudan, which declared full support for Morocco on the Sahara issue.

In another development, a resolution was recently introduced at the U.S. congress calling for more support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara as a credible, serious and realistic solution.