Western Sahara – 15 April 2016

Western Sahara separatists warn UN of return to violence

The separatist leader of Western Sahara has warned the United Nations of a return to armed conflict in the North African territory unless pressure is put on Morocco to fully restore a UN mission there.

Polisario Front leader Mohammad Abdulaziz delivered the warning in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, three weeks after Morocco expelled 80 staffers of the MINURSO mission, severely crippling its operations.

News24

Polisario urges U.N. to keep pressure on Morocco over Western Sahara

The leader of Western Sahara’s Polisario Front separatist movement on Thursday wrote to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging him and the Security Council to pressure Morocco to stop interfering with U.N. peacekeepers.

Last month, Ban used the word “occupation” to describe Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara in 1975, when Rabat took it over from colonial power Spain. Infuriated by what it saw as a shift away from a neutral position, Morocco expelled dozens of U.N. staff working for the mission there known as MINURSO.

Reuters