The UN envoy for Western Sahara ended a two-day visit to the refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria on Sunday. After January, this is Staffan de Mistura’s second tour of the region since he was appointed in November. He also visited Morocco in July. At the heart of his trip on Saturday and Sunday: meetings with representatives of the Polisario Front, an independence movement that is calling for a self-determination referendum for Western Sahara.
It was with the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, that Staffan de Mistura spoke on Sunday after meeting other representatives of the independence movement the day before. A meeting behind closed doors, according to the Algerian press agency APS, in particular to prepare a report which must be presented to the United Nations Security Council in the coming weeks.
Before this visit, a UN spokesperson indicated that Staffan de Mistura had ” always looking forward to deepening consultations with all parties concerned on the prospect of constructively advancing the political process in Western Sahara “.
A territory, which the UN considers ” not autonomous », and for which the Polisario Front supported by Algeria, which calls for a referendum of self-determination, and Morocco, which proposes a plan of autonomy under its sovereignty, have been opposed for several decades.
On Sunday evening, Oubi Bouchraya, member of the Polisario Front leadership in charge of Europe and the European Union, affirmed that the movement was committed to facilitating the task of the UN envoy, while continuing to defend his right to self-determination.
The United Nations envoy for Western Sahara is due to continue his trip to Algiers today, then to Nouakchott, Mauritania, on Saturday.