West-Sahara
Aktuelle Einsätze
MINURSO
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (UN-Geführt)
Beginn: 04/91
Link zum Einsatz
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.
Baker Resigns As Western Sahara Envoy (12.06.2004)
(Quelle: Washington Post) Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III resigned as the top U.N. envoy to Western Sahara after failing for seven years to resolve a conflict between Morocco and Polisario Front rebels, a U.N. spokesman said. Baker has grown increasingly frustrated in his job as Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy, initially in failing to arrange a referendum on the territory's future and most recently in getting Morocco to accept his latest peace plan.
UN pushes for W Sahara settlement (29.04.2004)
(Quelle: BBC) The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution urging Morocco and the Polisario Front rebels to accept a UN-backed peace plan for Western Sahara. The plan would give the territory immediate self-government followed within five years by a referendum on its independence from Morocco. The Polisario have agreed to the plan, but Morocco has rejected it. The UN resolution also renewed for a further six months the mandate of the peacekeepers in Western Sahara.
Annan asks for more time on peace plan (28.04.2004)
(Quelle: UN Wire) U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council yesterday not to give up on a peaceful resolution on Western Sahara, which has cost the United Nations $600 million and 13 years of diplomatic initiatives, and to continue to seek implementation of the U.N. plan. Annan recommended in a report to the council that the U.N. peacekeeping mandate be extended for 10 months to allow both sides more time to negotiate, … . The current mandate for the force, which comprises almost 230 U.N. military observers and troops, expires Friday.
Rabat in the process of developing response on peace plan (22.02.2004)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The United Nations has proposed extending its mission to the Western Sahara for a three months amid signs that Morocco will respond positively to the latest UN proposal for resolving a 28-year-old dispute over control of disputed former Spanish colony. On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed that the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) be extended until the end of April in order to give Morocco more time to respond to the peace plan recommended by his Special envoy James Baker.
UN Mission Hails Planned Release of 100 Moroccan POWs (13.02.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara today hailed the decision by the Frente POLISARIO group to release 100 Moroccan prisoners-of-war. While welcoming the announcement, the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) called for the remaining prisoners-of-war held by Frente POLISARIO to be released early in compliance with international humanitarian law, according to a UN spokesman in New York.
Security Council Extends UN Mandate Until April (30.01.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission to Western Sahara, due to expire tomorrow, until the end of April. The unanimous vote of approval for a three-month extension comes after Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier this month asked the Council to give more time for consultations between Morocco and James Baker, his Personal Envoy, over a peace plan for the disputed territory.
Security Council Likely to Extend MINURSO - President (27.01.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) The President of the Security Council today predicted an extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in order to foster efforts aimed at resolving the status of the disputed territory. Speaking to reporters following closed-door consultations on the issue, Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile predicted that the three-month extension would be approved on Friday by consensus.
Annan Calls for More Time to Allow Morocco to Consider Deal (21.01.2004)
(Quelle: UN News) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the UN mission in Western Sahara should be extended for another three months, through the end of April, to give Morocco more time to respond to a peace plan for the disputed area.
UN Officials to Discuss Refugee Issues (16.12.2003)
(Quelle: UN-News) Senior United Nations officials are travelling to Algeria and Morocco today to discuss with officials in those countries new confidence-building measures to help some 165,000 Western Saharan refugees who have spent nearly three decades in camps in the desert.
Special Representative Starts Regional Tour (13.11.2003)
(Quelle: UN-News) The Special Representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, is in Rabat for talks with Moroccan officials as part of his first visit to the region. A plan for lasting peace between Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Frente POLISARIO)…, is being considered by all parties involved. They include Morocco, the Frente POLISARIO, Algeria and Mauritania.
UN Mandate Extended (29.10.2003)
(Quelle: Mail and Guardian) The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended the 12-year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another three months, with no end to the stand-off between Algeria and Morocco in sight. Morocco has rejected a plan backed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that would lead to a referendum on self-rule for the disputed territory, where the Algerian-backed Polisario Front movement wants independence.
Annan Urges Morocco to Accept Peace Plan (20.10.2003)
(Quelle: UN-News) The plan submitted by the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, James Baker, earlier this year, calls for a referendum on the area's future. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Frente POLISARIO) accepted the plan on 6 July. The Moroccans have sent objections to the Secretary-General. In his report, Mr. Annan notes that in September Morocco sent a high-level negotiating team to Houston to meet with Mr. Baker, and had asked for additional time to study the proposals.
Polisario Releases Moroccan Prisoners of War (03.09.2003)
(Quelle: The Independent) Nearly three decades after they were incarcerated, 243 of the world's longest-serving prisoners of war were released yesterday from their jail huts in the Algerian desert. The Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed rebel movement seeking independence for the Western Sahara, had detained the men since the early years of a guerilla war that followed Morocco's annexation of the territory in 1975.
ICRC Offers Help on Prisoner Returns (18.08.2003)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has initiated contact with the Polisario Front and the Moroccan government to offer its services. … On 15 August, the Polisario Front - the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro - announced it would release 243 of Moroccan detainees in Tindouf, southwestern Algeria.
Anlauf zur Lösung des Konflikts (12.08.2003)
(Quelle: NZZ) Der Sonderbeauftragte des Uno-Generalsekretärs für die Westsahara, der frühere amerikanische Außenminister Baker, hat einen neuen Plan für die Beilegung des Konflikts um die einstige spanische Kolonie vorgelegt. Der Uno-Sicherheitsrat hat den Plan gebilligt, scheint aber nicht bereit zu sein, dessen Verwirklichung zu erzwingen.
Annan to Appoint New Envoy for Western Sahara (07.08.2003)
(Quelle: allAfrica) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has announced his intention to appoint Alvaro de Soto of Peru, a key adviser on the Cyprus issue, as his new envoy for Western Sahara.
Morocco Rejects UN Peace Plan (01.08.2003)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The latest peace plan, drawn up by former US Secretary of State James Baker, provides for a referendum in four to five years time. … Who exactly should be allowed to vote in a referendum has been a source of constant argument. Morocco would like its own settlers in the territory to be eligible, whereas Polisario would like to exclude most Moroccan settlers, but include Western Sahara refugees living in other countries, particularly Algeria.
Security Council Adopts Peace Plan (31.07.2003)
(Quelle: BBC World) It proposes that the Western Sahara becomes a semi-autonomous region of Morocco for a transition period of up to five years. A referendum would then take place for the population, giving them the choice to vote for independence, autonomy or integration into Morocco.
Diplomats Urge Morocco and POLISARIO to Accept Peace Plan (17.07.2003)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The plan proposes that a Western Sahara Authority (WSA) be responsible for local government, territorial budget, taxation, economic development, internal security, law enforcement, transportation, agriculture, mining, fisheries, socio-cultural affairs, education and other basic infrastructure. Morocco would be responsible for foreign relations, national security and external defence, all matters relating to the production, sale and ownership or use of weapons by the law enforcement authorities of WSA.
POLISARIO Accepts New Peace Plan (11.07.2003)
(Quelle: UN-News) (Security) Council President, Ambassador Inocencio F. Arias of Spain, said he informed the 15-nation body that he met yesterday with a delegation from the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguía el-Hamra y del Río de Oro (POLISARIO Front), who told him of their decision to accept the peace plan developed by the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy James Baker. But he added that Morocco still had not agreed to the plan.