West-Sahara
Aktuelle Einsätze
MINURSO
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (UN-Geführt)
Beginn: 04/91
Link zum Einsatz
Secretary-General chooses British official to head UN Mission (02.02.2007)
(Quelle: allAfrica) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed an experienced United Nations official and former British diplomat as his new envoy to spearhead efforts to re-start the long-stalled peace process in Western Sahara. Julian Harston, 64, becomes the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Mr. Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists today.
UN shuns West Sahara rights plea after France objects (31.10.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) The U.N. Security Council voted on Tuesday to keep peacekeepers in Western Sahara for six more months but shunned a plea that Morocco do more to safeguard human rights in the territory after France objected. … Diplomats said France alone had initially objected to a Danish proposal that the resolution express concern about human rights violations by Morocco in the northwest African territory of some 260,000 people. But France, a close ally of Morocco, eventually won over several other governments including the United States, Britain and Russia, who agreed to avoid all substantive issues in the resolution, they said.
Security Council extends UN mission for six months until April 2007 (31.10.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) Calling on all parties in the Western Sahara and neighbouring states to cooperate fully with the United Nations mission in bringing peace to the disputed territory, the Security-Council today voted to extend the UN mission for another six months until April next year.
Annan calls for peace talks as he recommends extension of UN mission (18.10.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) Morocco and the Frente Polisario should drop any preconditions and begin negotiations to try to find a lasting solution to their long-standing conflict in Western Sahara, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says, calling in a report for a six-month extension of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory.
UN Council extends peacekeeping mandate through October (28.04.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) Calling once again upon the parties and States in the region to end the current impasse in Western Sahara, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum there (MINURSO) for six months, through October 2006. Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council also reiterated its call for contributions to help re-unite families separated during the long-running dispute.
UN mission should remain for 6 more months - Annan (24.04.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) Citing the need for diplomatic efforts to break the impasse over Western Sahara Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for a six-month extension of the United Nations mission (MINURSO) deployed in the disputed territory which is claimed by Morocco. In a new report to the Security Council, the Secretary-General says MINURSO, which has been monitoring a ceasefire between the two sides, “continues to play a key stabilizing and ceasefire monitoring role.”
Polisario confident Western Sahara vote will be held (27.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Western Sahara's liberation movement said on Monday it was confident Africa's longest-running territorial row would end with a ballot on independence despite Morocco's refusal to concede sovereignty. In a Reuters interview Polisario chief Mohamed Abdelaziz reiterated a longstanding position that the movement would renew its armed struggle with Morocco if there was no other way of gaining control of the mineral-rich northwest African territory. … 'There is no other solution,' he added, speaking at 30th anniversary celebrations of Polisario's proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which he also heads.
Western Sahara independence movement rejects Rabat plan (03.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) The Polisario Front, the Western Sahara independence movement, on Friday rejected in advance a plan by Morocco to propose to the United Nations that the desert territory be made an autonomous part of Morocco. Only holding of a referendum on independence 'offers real possibilities for a just and lasting resolution of the conflict of Western Sahara,' Polisario representative Ahmed Boukhari said in a letter to U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, the U.N. Security Council president for February.
Little hope for resolution of Western Sahara situation this year (18.01.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations top envoy for Western Sahara today implied he did not foresee any breakthroughs during the current year in the political impasse between the Moroccan Government and the Frente POLISARIO independence movement over the territory’s status. “Something that has not been solved over more than thirty years, you can not really expect to be solved in a year,” Peter van Walsum, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Personal Envoy said.
Polisario rejects autonomy plan (07.11.2005)
(Quelle: BBC) The independence movement for Western Sahara has dismissed a proposal to grant the territory some autonomy. A Polisario spokesman told the BBC the future of the Morocco-controlled region could only be resolved by a referendum. Morocco's King Mohammed VI had said he wanted to consult political parties about some form of decentralisation. He was speaking on the 30th anniversary of the Green March, when more than 300,000 Moroccans marched into Western Sahara to lay claim to the region.
UN renews peacekeeping mandate amid pessimism (28.10.2005)
(Quelle: allAfrica) The UN Security Council voted on Friday not to give up on its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory of Western Sahara but black clouds continue to hang over talks on the three decade-old problem. The new UN envoy, Peter van Walsum, announced that the positions of the key players were 'quasi-irreconcilable' after holding a series of meetings earlier this month with the leaders of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front. Nevertheless, the Security Council accepted UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's recommendation of a 28th mandate extension for the mission, known as MINURSO, despite its lack of concrete progress and US $650 million price tag to date.
Positions of key players quasi-irreconcilable, says UN envoy (17.10.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) The positions of most key players in the Western Sahara dispute are quasi-irreconcilable, though they all hold strong views on the need for a durable solution, the senior United Nations envoy on the issue said today at the end of a visit to the region. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy Peter van Walsum held talks with all the principals in a bid to overcome the impasse blocking a referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony which Morocco claims as part of its own territory but where the Frente POLISARIO is seeking independence.
New UN envoy begins first visit to region tomorrow (11.10.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s new Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, is set to start his first trip to the region tomorrow with visits to Morocco, Algeria and other principals in an effort to overcome the impasse blocking a 2003 peace plan for a referendum on self-determination.
Polisario releases all remaining Moroccan prisoners of war (19.08.2005)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The Polisario Front, which is fighting for Western Sahara to be recognised as an independent state, on Thursday released all remaining Moroccan prisoners-of-war, some of whom had been held in captivity for more than 20 years. The International Committee of the Red Cross said 404 prisoners had been released in Tindouf, Algeria, following mediation by the United States, and were on their way home to Morocco.
Secretary-General names new head of UN mission (05.08.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) Secretary-General Kofi Annan today informed the Security Council that he will appoint a seasoned United Nations diplomat, Francesco Bastagli of Italy, to head up the 14-year-old UN mission responsible for organizing a referendum for the Western Sahara. ... He will replace Alvaro de Soto, who is now UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the Secretary-General's Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.
Annan appoints veteran Dutch diplomat personal envoy (01.08.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Peter van Walsum, the former Dutch Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as his Personal Envoy assisting the parties in the Western Sahara settle the disputed territory's status. Mr. van Walsum, a career diplomat who held a number of posts during his 35-year-plus association with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, succeeds James A. Baker III, who resigned in June.
Le Front Polisario se dit prêt à libérer tous les prisonniers marocains qu'il détient (15.07.2005)
(Quelle: Le Monde) 'Nous avons décidé de régler le plus vite possible le problème des prisonniers marocains que nous détenons encore. Il faut en finir, agir dans le sens de leur libération. Nous allons informer le CICR [le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge] et régler avec lui les détails techniques de leur libération.' C'est en ces termes que le chef du Front Polisario, Mohammed Abdelaziz, a fait part au Monde , mercredi 13 juillet, au cours d'une rencontre informelle à Madrid, de la décision des dirigeants sahraouis de libérer 'le plus vite possible' les 408 prisonniers marocains encore détenus dans les camps sahraouis.
Konflikt flackert wieder auf (10.06.2005)
(Quelle: Heise) Der seit 30 Jahren bestehende Konflikt über das von Marokko annektierte Land flackert wieder auf. Auslöser der Demonstrationen in El Ayun war die Verlegung eines Häftlings in die marokkanische Küstenstadt Agadir. Einige Hundert Menschen zogen durch das Stadtzentrum, verbrannten marokkanische Fahnen und forderten die Unabhängigkeit der Westsahara, das Marokko 1975 nach dem Ende der spanischen Besetzung in sein Staatsgebiet integriert hatte. Einen Tag später protestierten saharaouische Studenten an der Universität der marokkanischen Hauptstadt Rabat.
Polisario asks world to intervene after what it calls repression by Morocco (31.05.2005)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The Polisario Front, the group seeking independence for Western Sahara, has accused the Moroccan government of ferocious repression following disturbances this month and has called on the international community to intervene and protect civilians. Touble broke out in the main city of the disputed desert territory, Laayoune, last week. The Moroccan authorities say the Polisario instigated politically motivated riots; the independence movement counters that the demonstrations were peaceful protests against Morocco's occupation.
De violentes manifestations dégénèrent au Sahara occidental (27.05.2005)
(Quelle: Le Monde) Les drapeaux marocains brûlés dans la rue, des slogans qui fleurissent en faveur de l'indépendance, des cocktails molotov contre les gaz lacrymogènes, des dizaines de personnes blessées ou incarcérées... Depuis dimanche soir 22 mai l'ancienne capitale du Sahara occidental, El-Ayoun, est le siège de nouvelles manifestations, les plus violentes depuis octobre 1999.
Sahara row wrecks Maghreb summit (24.05.2005)
(Quelle: BBC) The first summit of North African heads of state in more than a decade, which was due to take place in Libya, has been postponed indefinitely. … The postponement came after King Mohammed VI of Morocco said he would not attend because of a dispute with Algeria over Western Sahara. At the weekend, Algeria reiterated its support for the Saharan independence movement, Polisario.
Improved political climate has not ended Western Sahara stalemate – UN report (21.04.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) The overall improved political climate in Western Sahara has not ended the stalemate between the parties on the core issue of how the people of the territory can exercise their right of self-determination, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report recommending a six-month extension of the United Nations mission there to maintain stability.
Moroccans rally for war prisoners (06.03.2005)
(Quelle: BBC) Tens of thousands of Moroccans have joined a demonstration in the capital, Rabat, calling for the release of prisoners of war held in Algeria. … Some walked holding up black and white photos of their husbands or fathers. They are among more than 400 Moroccan soldiers being held by the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria. They were captured during the war for control of Western Sahara after Spain pulled out of the desert territory in 1975. They are the longest serving prisoners of war in the world.
No sign of any progress in deadlocked Western Sahara dispute – Annan (28.01.2005)
(Quelle: UN News) More than 13 years after they agreed to a ceasefire, the parties in Western Sahara remain deadlocked politically and there is no sign of any way to advance the stalled peace process, Secretary-General Kofi Annan tells the Security Council in his latest report on the work of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there.
Annan Reports Stalemate on Western Sahara Dispute (22.10.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) The parties in Western Sahara have made no progress over the last six months towards agreement on a peace plan, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report recommending a six-month extension of the United Nations mission there in order to maintain stability. Moreover, there is currently no agreement on what can be done to overcome the existing deadlock over the Peace Plan for the Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara.
Mbeki backs W Sahara independence (16.09.2004)
(Quelle: BBC) South African President Thabo Mbeki has urged Africans to support self-determination for Western Sahara. The territory has been at the centre of a dispute since former colonial power Spain pulled out in 1975, and neighbouring Morocco invaded it. The president's remarks follow Wednesday's decision by South Africa to open diplomatic relations with the region, which has angered Morocco.
UN envoy to hold fresh round of talks with all parties in Western Sahara dispute (03.09.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) Over the next 10 days the senior United Nations envoy for Western Sahara will conduct his first round of formal talks with Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO about the disputed territory since his duties expanded three months ago. Alvaro de Soto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Western Sahara, will hold consultations with Morocco's King Mohammed VI and senior Government officials during a two-day visit to Rabat starting on Monday.
UN envoy aiming for talks with both sides of Western Sahara dispute (26.07.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) The senior United Nations envoy for Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, has arrived in the region to try to initiate fresh talks with Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, the UN mission to the disputed territory announced today. In a statement released in Laayoune, the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, known by its French acronym MINURSO, said Mr. de Soto has already held in-depth consultations in Washington, Paris and Madrid, and was hoping to hold talks with the main parties before the seasonal lull in August.
UN 'standing firm' on W Sahara (24.06.2004)
(Quelle: BBC) The new UN special representative for Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, has said that he will pursue the same policy as his predecessor. The UN-backed plan includes a referendum on self-determination for the Western Saharan people. … Former UN mediator James Baker resigned earlier this month saying that he had done all that he could in the conflict between Western Sahara and Morocco.
Polisario releases 100 prisoners after EU request (22.06.2004)
(Quelle: Irinnews) One hundred Moroccan prisoners of war, some of them in captivity for more than 20 years, have been released by the Polisario movement fighting for the independence of Western Sahara, European Union officials said. … Since a 1991 UN-brokered ceasefire took effect, the Polisario has released most of its prisoners of war but 514 remain in captivity. The United Nations has spent more than US $600 million over the past 13 years trying to find a solution to the conflict in the desert territory.