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Shahid Al Hafed, 19/02/2009 (SPS) The new Personal Envoy of the SG of the UN to Western Sahara, the American diplomat, Christopher Ross is expected Saturday in the Saharawi refugee camps, in his first visit to the region for the resumption of negotiations between the two parties to the conflict, the POLISARIO Front and Morocco, as announced Tuesday by the spokesperson of Ban Ki-moon, Michele Montas, in New York.
"Mr. Ross will work with the two parties and neighboring countries on the basis of the most recent resolution of the Security Council 1813 and previous resolutions as well as the progress made so far to find a fair and sustainable political solution, "Ms. Montas stated.
On the other hand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek said Wednesday on the National Radio on the eve of the visit of Mr. Ross "the POLISARIO Front remains committed to a solution to enable the Saharawi people to exercise freely their right to self-determination and independence ".
"We expect the new Personal Envoy of the SG of the UN to Western Sahara, to restore the talks between the two parties to the conflict, the POLISARIO Front and Morocco to achieve a just and lasting settlement that guarantees the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, "he added
Mr. Ross, who succeeded the Dutch Peter Van Walsum, whose mandate expired last August, has had a long diplomatic career in the State Department where he was, inter alia, in charge of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to a biography published by the United Nations.
It was also his country's ambassador to Syria and Algeria before serving as director of the American Cultural Center in Fez.
Mr. Peter Van Walsum was IN the position of SG's Personal Envoy of the UN since 2005 and had led during his term 4 rounds of negotiations between the two parties to the conflict, the POLISARIO Front and Morocco without any progress because of the refusal of Morocco to comply with international legality.
He disqualified himself by taking a position supporting the Moroccan thesis despite his statements reaffirming that law and international legitimacy are at the side of the Saharawi people and the POLISARIO Front. (SPS)
062/090/000 19 1320 FEB 09 SPS
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