Algeria stands ready to support any international initiative aimed at mediating a resolution to the conflict in Western Sahara under the framework of the United Nations. This commitment was reiterated by Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, during a press conference held earlier today.
Minister Attaf addressed recent developments, specifically Security Council Resolution 2797, which renewed the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). He emphasized that the resolution does not signify a closure to the Western Sahara issue. “Despite various interpretations and misrepresentations, the Western Sahara file remains open and is actively being addressed by the United Nations, its General Assembly, the Security Council, and the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (Committee of 24),” Attaf stated.
He further noted that attempts to portray the issue as closed are not new and have been repeated whenever the matter is brought before international forums, particularly the Security Council. “Those familiar with the history of this conflict understand that the narrative of a closed or resolved issue is a recurring theme, often resurfacing when the matter is discussed within the UN system,” he explained.
The Foreign Minister clarified that the Security Council resolution does not endorse Moroccan proposals or affirm Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. He stressed that the resolution maintains the core principles for resolving the Western Sahara issue. “The Security Council has neither adopted Moroccan claims nor recognized Morocco’s alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara. It has also refrained from dictating the basis or outcome of negotiations, leaving these matters to be determined and agreed upon by the parties to the conflict: the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front,” Attaf affirmed.
Attaf highlighted that the resolution preserves the established parameters for resolving the Western Sahara issue, including the UN’s continued oversight of the political process and the necessity for direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Algeria, he emphasized, remains committed to facilitating a just and lasting solution to the conflict through international cooperation and within the framework of the United Nations.
