Exclusive: Ban Ki-moon’s Report on Western Sahara Delayed for Several Days
PERSISMA, New York – United Nations Secretary General’s annual report on the “Situation concerning the Western Sahara,” will not be submitted to the Security Council on time, informed sources inside the Security Council told Morocco World News on Thursday.
Ban Ki-moon was scheduled to submit his annual report to the UN executive body on Friday. Based on the report, the 15-member body will decide whether or not to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Western Sahara, known by its French acronym as MINURSO.
However, this year’s report comes amid unprecedented tension between Morocco and the United Nations Secretariat as a result of the controversial statement Ban Ki-moon made against Morocco last March.
During his first visit to the Tindouf camps on March 5-7, the UN chief described Morocco’s presence in the Western Sahara as “occupation,” in total departure from his neutrality and from the UN diplomatic language.
Morocco reacted vehemently to the Ban Ki-moon’s statement and decided to expel MINURSO’s civil personnel and to stop its $3 million voluntary contribution to the UN mission.
During a closed-door meeting of the Security Council at the request of Venezuela and Uruguay on Thursday, Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary General for Peace-keeping operations, said that MINURSO is still operational despite the expulsion of its civilian component. He noted, however, that the mission can no longer fully play its role in line with its mandate.
At the end of the meeting, he informed the Security Council that the UN chief’s annual report will be delayed for several days.
Sources inside the Security Council told Morocco World News that the reason behind this delay is the ongoing friction between Morocco and the UN Secretariat.
