In an “unprecedented development,” the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General to the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, proposed dividing the southern Moroccan regions into two parts, one for Morocco and the other for Polisario.
Reuters caused a big surprise when it learned of Staffan de Mistura’s statements as he briefed members of the Security Council in a closed and secret session last Wednesday, in which he called for “invoking the process of dividing the Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario as a solution to this conflict.”
According to the same source, de Mistura said in his briefing that “partition could allow the establishment of an independent state in the southern part on the one hand, and on the other hand the integration of the rest of the territory as part of Morocco, with international recognition of Rabat’s sovereignty over it (the northern part of the Sahara).”
Reuters confirmed that this proposal presented by de Mistura “was rejected by Morocco and the Polisario,” as the UN envoy stressed that “the Secretary-General, António Guterres, must reconsider the role of his envoy (de Mistura himself) if progress is not achieved in The file within six months.”
The same source confirmed that de Mistura said that Morocco, which is gaining international support for its proposal on autonomy, must “expand its explanation of this proposal.”
