SPS
SADR/UN/REACTION The
Baker's resignation "a
serious setback" to UN's efforts in the decolonisation of Western Sahara
12.06.04
Chahid El Hafed,
12/06/04 (SPS)
SADR’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), qualified, Friday, the
resignation
of UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, James
Baker, as a
"serious setback " to the UN efforts for the completion of the
decolonisation process in the last colony in Africa.
In an official
statement publicised on Friday, in response
to Baker’s resignation from his mission as UN Secretary General’s
Personal
Envoy to Western Sahara, MFA considered that this event is the pure
expression
of the American diplomat's indignation in front of "the intransigent
attitude of the Moroccan regime", which did not stop to "deliberately
sabotage" any "right and peaceful" solution to Western Sahara
conflict.
Moroccan
intransigence, "which has constantly profited
from the support and active alliance of France, the country which had
seriously
failed in respecting its responsibilities as a permanent member in
Security
Council regarding the question of Western Sahara", is in fact the
hidden
cause that put an end to the "enormous efforts paid by Mr. Baker",
during seven years, underlined the text.
Former American
Secretary of State, left to the
international community "an invaluable legacy, a Peace plan which
enjoyed
the support of the Security Council", which must be taken into account
in
any possible search for a solution to the conflict, having endorsed
Saharawi
people's right to self-determination ", conforming to legality and to
international law, the text added.
On another hand,
Saharawi people "paying tribute to
the efforts of Mr. Baker for a fair and optimal peace in Western
Sahara, will
never concede their determination nor their resistance against Moroccan
occupation, until full completion of their legitimate rights to freedom
and
independence ", the official statement concluded.
Mr. James Baker had
officially presented his resignation
Friday to Kofi Annan, who must in his turn inform the Security Council
of the
news.
It should be noted
that Baker is at the origin of the Peace
plan presented in January 2003, which bears from then on his name and
in which
he recommended the organisation of elections of an autonomous Saharawi
authority within the space of one year followed by a referendum of
self-determination five years later.
Faithful to its policy
of intransigence, Morocco
rejected this proposal, whereas Polisario adopted it seeing in it an
acceptable
compromise since it respected Saharawi people's right to
self-determination and
independence. (SPS)
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE 