April 29, 2004
The United Nations Security Council renewed on Thursday again the mandate of a UN peacekeeping force in Western Sahara so that Morocco and the Polisario Front rebels can have more time to reach a deal on its future. In a resolution unanimously adopted, the council extended the mandate of the UN force for six more months until the end of October, four months less than UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had recommended.
The 15-nation body reaffirmed its support for a UN-proposed peace plan, which would allow residents in Western Sahara to determine the future of the disputed territory in a referendum. The resolution described the plan as "an optimum political solution on the basis of agreement" between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Under the plan, Western Sahara would enjoy semi-autonomy for four to five years before a referendum on its final status.
The proposal, put forward by Annan's special envoy for Western Sahara, former US Secretary of State James Baker, was accepted by the Polisario Front and its backer Algeria, but rejected by Morocco. The council also requested Annan to evaluate the possibility of downsizing the 13-year-old UN mission, which has cost more than 600 million US dollars.
Western Sahara, formerly a Spanish colony, was split by Morocco and Mauritania in 1975, and totally annexed by Morocco in 1979. The Polisario Front started fighting with Morocco for the region's independence in 1976. In April 1991, the UN peacekeepers were deployed in Western Sahara to monitor a truce and a referendum. But the plebiscite has so far failed to take place due to the absence of a peace deal.
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