Middle East Monitor
Morocco’s minister of communications said on Friday that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the best solution for Western Sahara. Mustapha El-Khalfi added that anyone who rejects this undermines any political solution for the issue, Quds Press has reported.
The minister, who is also a spokesman for the Moroccan government, insisted that remarks by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Western Sahara is under Moroccan occupation are “abusive to Moroccans”. He pointed out that such a view is opposed by basic UN principles.
“Morocco will never ignore this dangerous and unprecedented verbal mistake by Ban Ki-moon,” said El-Khalfi. “This polarises the bases of the UN policies related to this man-made and chronic conflict.” UN Security Council resolutions have never dealt with Western Sahara as an occupied territory, noted the minister.
“What is more important here is why the UN asked Morocco to propose a political solution for this issue 15 years ago,” he said. “Why did the UN consider the Moroccan proposal serious and credible? Why did the UN welcome the role of the National Council of Human Rights?”
