Laayoune – Representatives and Shioukhs of Sahrawi tribes of Morocco’s southern provinces highlighted, in a meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Christopher Ross, Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the only and the most effective solution to the Sahara issue.
In press statements after the meeting, they said they told Mr Ross of the Sahrawis’ “firm belief ” in the pertinence of the initiative, and that they contributed to devising the proposal through the Royal Advisory Council on the Saharan Affairs (CORCAS).
“We have conveyed a message to Mr Ross, in our capacity as elected and legitimate representatives entitled to speak on behalf of the population of the Southern provinces. We expressed our vision and our conviction over the autonomy proposal presented by Morocco,” they said.
“The autonomy initiative is the only possible solution to the Sahara issue, and we reject any other proposal,” they insisted.
During his visit to Laayoune, Mr Ross is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with local authorities, Shioukhs of Sahrawi tribes, CORCAS members, civil society stakeholders and human rights activists.
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