Despite the atmosphere of "serious engagement", Western Sahara negotiations yielded few results.
Morocco and the Polisario failed to reach an accord during the latest round of Western Sahara talks in Manhasset, which concluded on Sunday (January 23rd). The parties, however, agreed to resume the unofficial, UN-brokered negotiations in March.
"Both parties have presented and discussed in a preliminary way of concrete ideas that will be developed during the next session of informal talks," UN Western Sahara Envoy Christopher Ross said in a press statement.
The official also noted that the participants, including observers Mauritania and Algeria, agreed to meet next month in Geneva at the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to "move towards the launch of family visits by land" between Laâyoune and the Tindouf camps. Air visits resumed on January 7th.
Despite the atmosphere of "serious engagement, frankness, and mutual respect", no breakthrough was made in the negotiations as "each party continues to reject the proposal of the other as a sole basis for future negotiations", Ross said.
"We have once again reaffirmed the readiness of Morocco to find a solution to this regional dispute on the basis of the legitimacy of Morocco in Sahara," Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri said, adding that Morocco resubmitted its interpretation of the autonomy proposal.
The minister noted, "Talks also dealt with a new approach to accelerate negotiations so as to arrive at the desired final political solution."
He added that "the Moroccan delegation submitted a number of ideas to activate negotiations", which include the discussion of real resources in the region, the representation of Sahrawi citizens in southern regions in the negotiations, as well as the need to adopt new means rather than rely solely on talks.
"Based on UN experiences, when parties are unable to realise tangible progress, they resort to other approaches in the negotiations," the minister added.
According to Fassi Fihri, the negotiations represent a historic responsibility for the peoples of the Maghreb, who face various risks and serious challenges but fail to make use of the possibilities of integration and joint work.
For his part, Sahrawi delegation chief Khatri Adouh noted that the fifth round "dealt with the proposals presented by both parties to end the conflict of colonisation in Western Sahara, based on respect of Sahrawi people's inalienable right of self-determination".
"Morocco is still trying to avoid engaging in real negotiations dedicated to the aim which international groups are demanding," Adouh maintained.
He also commented that the issue of "human rights violations in Western Sahara was dealt with in light of the findings recently announced by some Moroccan organisations". On January 14th, a group of rights groups, including Moroccan League for the Defence of Human Rights (LMDDH), released a report, alleging that "gross human rights violations" were committed in the Laâyoune clashes last November.
"Sahrawi people's right of self-determination offers more than a single solution," MAP quoted Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos as saying. The official stressed the need to be aware of "the difficulty of holding a referendum as a means of solving the conflict".
© Magharebia.com 2011
