News
Saturday 28 April 2018

At Security Council, US Reaffirms that Morocco’s Autonomy Plan is 'Serious, Credible and Realistic'

Vocal synthesis
At Security Council, US Reaffirms that Morocco’s Autonomy Plan is 'Serious, Credible and Realistic'


The United States reaffirmed Friday at the UN Security Council that the Moroccan autonomy plan remains "serious, credible and realistic" and represents a "potential approach" for the final settlement of the Sahara issue.

“We continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic, and it represents one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the population in the Sahara to run their own affairs with peace and dignity,” Amy Tachco, Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations, told the Security Council following the adoption of resolution 2414, which extends the mandate of the MINURSO until 31 October 2018.

The US diplomat, who insisted on the importance of resuming talks in the framework of the UN process and the mission of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Horst Koehler, stressed the "special and important role" that neighboring countries can play in this negotiating process.

“We also hope that neighboring states will recognize the special and important role they can play in supporting this negotiating process,” she said.

“We call on the parties to demonstrate their commitment to a realistic, practicable, and enduring political solution based on compromise by resuming negotiations without preconditions and in good faith,” the US diplomat added.

“Entrenched positions must not stand in the way of progress,” she pointed out.

“We expect that all parties will respect their obligations under the ceasefire and refrain from any actions that could destabilize the situation or threaten the UN process,” the US diplomat pointed out, referring to the repeated provocations of the Polisario in the Guergarat region, located in the buffer zone.

“Unilateral changes to the status quo on the ground will not help us get to a lasting and peaceful solution,” she noted.

MAP 28 April 2018