UN reaffirms neutrality of MINURSO; presence in Tifariti part of routine monitoring

The United Nations has made clarifications regarding the presence of two elements of the MINURSO, at the site of the pseudo-congress of the Polisario, indicating that their presence was part of routine monitoring and reaffirming the neutrality of the UN mission in the Sahara.

The clarification was made Monday by Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, who affirmed that MINURSO remains strictly impartial in the fulfilment of its mandate.

“On 19 December, as part of their routine monitoring of developments in the Territory in support of MINURSO’s mandate, two UN Military Observers based at the Tifariti team site decided to visit the site of the (Polisario) Congress. They left shortly after the ceremony began and returned to their team site,” the spokesperson said.

“Their brief presence at this event does not imply any political position on the part of the observers or MINURSO, which remains strictly impartial in the fulfilment of its mandate,” he said.