Minurso[1]

MINURSO UNITED NATIONS MISSION FOR
THE REFERENDUM IN WESTERN SAHARA 1991 to today

Western Sahara is a desert land on the western coast
of Africa. Its status is at the core of a conflict that
has lasted 30 years... including 16 years of war.
In 1963, the UN declared Western Sahara a “non-self-
governing Territory” because at the time, it was a
colony.

UN Resolution 1514 (XV) states that “all peoples have the
right to self-determination.”
The UN’s position on Western Sahara is based on this
landmark resolution, approved in 1960, which deals with
the granting of independence to colonial countries &
peoples.

Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony – below are the
remains of the Spanish fort at Dcheira, some 25km east of
Laayoune. Children play in its ruins today.

The UN called on Spain to decolonize in 1966. By 1974,
Spain was ready to organize a referendum on self-
determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Instead, in 1974 the United Nations asked the
International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion
on the status of the Territory known up to then as the
Spanish Sahara.

The International Court of
Justice, and Western Sahara
• In 1974, the General Assembly
asked the Court for an advisory
opinion on the status of
Western Sahara.
• This was done at the request of
Morocco, supported by
Mauritania; both defended their
territorial claims over Western
Sahara.
• Spain was asked to halt its own
preparations for a referendum
and wait for the Court’s
opinion.

The Court deemed that neither
side could claim sovereignty
over Western Sahara
======================
“The Court's conclusion was that the
materials and information presented to
it did not establish any tie of territorial
sovereignty between the territory of
Western Sahara and the Kingdom of
Morocco or the Mauritanian entity.”
16 Oct 1975

Once the International Court of Justice’s opinion (16 Oct 1975)
was made public, two crucial things happened:

Morocco launches a symbolic ‘Green March’ some 10km
into Western Sahara. (6 Nov 1975)

Days later, Spain signs over Western Sahara to Morocco
and Mauritania via the ‘Madrid Accords’. (14 Nov 1975)

Spain left the Territory altogether, three months later. (SADR)
War began.

MINURSO was created in
1991.

Thirty years later...
The war lasted 16 years. In 1991, a ceasefire came into effect.
Morocco, which now occupies most of the Territory, is
recognized by the UN as one the parties to the conflict.
The Frente POLISARIO is the other, as the representative of
the people of Western Sahara.

During the war over Western Sahara, Morocco built the
‘berm’, a sand wall 2000 kms long. Today it is still there.

Morocco has some
120,000 (?) of its troops
permanently stationed The Frente POLISARIO has some
west of the berm 12,000 (?) troops east of the berm.

MINURSO was created in 1991 with the agreement of the parties
to organize a referendum for the self-determination
of the people of Western Sahara.

MINURSO
SRSG and Head of Mission:
Francesco Bastagli
Force Commander:
Maj.Gen. Kurt Mosgaard
230 Military Observers
International and local staff

The Office of the SRSG monitors
the political situation for trends
and developments that could lead
to a solution of the conflict. We
also have a LO office in Tindouf.

MINURSO’s 231 military observers
monitor the ceasefire between the
parties, through team sites located on
both sides of the berm.

Searching for peace:
1991 to today

The Settlement Plan was a classic decolonization
programme. Ten years were spent on it.
The Framework Agreement was rejected by one of
the parties immediately.
The ‘Baker Plan’, which combined a bit of both,
was finally rejected by the other.

Both parties had agreed in principle to the ‘Settlement Plan’
which was a classic decolonization programme.
Today, Morocco regards Western Sahara as part of its national
territory, discards a referendum and proposes a wide
‘autonomy’ within the Kingdom.
The Frente POLISARIO, based in the refugee camps, says the
people of Western Sahara must exercise their right to self-
determination and choose their own destiny.

James Baker was appointed in 1997 to find a way out
of a deadlock. He persevered for seven years.
Peter van Walsum is the new Personal Envoy of the
UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara.

He will try to find a way out in a conflict where the parties
share no common ground.

So, who are the people of Western Sahara ?

They speak Hassaniya, and the older ones still
remember the Spanish learned under Spanish
rule.

These Saharan children are third-generation refugees.
Their family fled to Tindouf, Algeria, in the seventies.
Algeria is the host country to these refugee camps.

Dakhla, the main city in the south

Laayoune’s port is home to dozens of fishing boats. The
waters facing Dakhla, in the South, are even more bountiful.

Western Sahara is arid desert, with no agriculture or industry;
but it is not devoid of resources, or tourist potential.
It has phosphate, its waters in the Atlantic ocean are the richest
fishing grounds in the world... And yes, it may have oil.
If oil were found, the stakes over Western Sahara would increase
sharply.

What lies ahead for Western Sahara?

Personal Envoy van Walsum began work last October.

End of briefing on Western Sahara and MNURSO
Thank you for your interest

Minurso[1]

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