Algeria and Polisario Face Tough Choices with US Draft Resolution on Western Sahara
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The Polisario Front, a pro-independence movement, is facing a challenging situation due to a draft UN Security Council resolution on Western Sahara, circulated by the United States. The draft, expected by the end of October, has caused alarm within the Polisario Front, which views it as favoring Morocco's autonomy plan and potentially leading to its withdrawal from the political process. The draft proposes ending the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by April 2024 and replacing it with a political mission for six months, while recognizing Morocco's expanded autonomy proposal as the sole basis for negotiations.
The Polisario Front has expressed strong opposition to the draft, stating that it deviates from international law and the principles guiding the UN Security Council's approach to the Western Sahara issue. In a letter to the UN Security Council, the Polisario Front warned that if the draft is adopted without significant changes, it may withdraw from the peace process entirely. The Polisario Front's representative to the UN argued that the draft reflects the positions of the US and Morocco, and that it does not provide a basis for discussions on MINURSO or the peace process.
Mustapha Salem Ould Sidi Mouloud, a former military leader of the Polisario Front, commented that the threat of withdrawal from the political process will not change the current situation. He noted that the Polisario Front had previously withdrawn from the process in 2020, which ultimately benefited Morocco. He also stated that any new withdrawal would not allow the Polisario Front to achieve its goals, as it has exhausted all its options and the draft resolution is decisive and final for the separatist cause.
In response to the draft resolution, Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front, has not yet officially commented on the matter. However, the draft resolution has sparked concerns in Algeria about the potential implications for its regional policies and relations with Morocco. The draft resolution, if adopted, could significantly alter the dynamics of the Western Sahara conflict, potentially leading to a shift in the long-standing stalemate.
