Following the vote on Friday of the United Nations Security Council resolution adopting the Moroccan autonomy plan as the sole basis for a final settlement of the conflict in the Sahara, Moroccan players have hailed this victory of Moroccan diplomacy, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
The United States has welcomed a major advance at the UN Security Council on the Western Sahara issue. Speaking after an important vote on Friday, October 31, the US ambassador stressed the need to seize this opportunity to accelerate the peace process.
The Sahara issue has entered a new decisive phase. In a speech to the Nation this Friday, October 31, King Mohammed VI indicated that the latest UN Security Council resolution marked a historic turning point for Morocco, paving the way for a definitive solution based on the autonomy initiative.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to adopt a new resolution on the Western Sahara tonight, marking a notable evolution in its approach to the negotiation process. The text renews the mandate of the UN mission while redefining the basis of the discussion, placing the Moroccan initiative at the center of future talks.
As members of the UN Security Council prepare to vote on the new mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), France and the United Arab Emirates are intensifying their lobbying in favor of Morocco with members of the Council.
Brahim Ghali, the Secretary-General of the Polisario, has addressed a letter to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in which he conveys an "expanded proposal" aimed at engaging in a "direct" and "serious" negotiation "in good faith and without preconditions" with Morocco.
The Sahara file has returned to the center of attention at the UN. The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, warned the Security Council against a "dangerous military drift" if the diplomatic deadlock persisted.
The itinerary of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the UN General Assembly in New York has raised many questions. The unusual route of his plane, which carefully avoided the airspace of several countries, including Morocco, has fueled speculation about the reasons for this detour.
The Polisario has stated that the right to self-determination is the "just and consensual solution to resolve the conflict" in the Sahara, in response to King Mohammed VI who, in his latest Throne speech, reaffirmed his commitment to reaching a "consensual solution" and welcomed the "growing international support" for Morocco’s autonomy plan for this territory.
Faced with the persistent crisis between Morocco and Algeria, a new initiative from international civil society is attempting to build bridges. Led by a figure from the diplomatic world, it aims to pave the way for reconciliation and revive the Maghreb project, which is currently at a standstill.
International relations expert Ahmed Noureddine described Algeria’s reaction to the United Kingdom’s support for Morocco’s Sahara autonomy plan, expressed on June 1st, as "hysterical".
The analysis of global melon exports in 2024, based on United Nations COMTRADE data, confirms the rise of Guatemala, which has become the leading exporter by volume ahead of Spain. But the figures also show that Morocco exported more than France, both in quantity and value.