US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken vows support to resolve Sahara conflict

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday met with Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Western Sahara.

The two discussed political developments related to the first round of negotiations that led the UN official to the region during the past weeks.

“Secretary Blinken emphasized the continued U.S. commitment to supporting de Mistura’s efforts in leading the UN political process for Western Sahara,” said a statement from the US Department of State.

The Secretary and Personal Envoy also discussed diplomatic engagement with international partners to reinforce a credible political process that will lead to an enduring and dignified resolution of the conflict, said the same source.

Mistura will soon issue his report on the outcomes of his meetings with Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Ramtane Lamamra, Algerian Foreign Minister, and representatives of the Polisario Front.

During his first field visit, De Mistura examined the reality of the Sahara conflict, the Algerian regime’s role in inciting the conflict, and the way the Polisario Front officials have been following instructions from the Mouradia Palace, Algeria’s presidential palace.

Muhammad al-Tayyar, an analyst and expert in security affairs, considered that the purpose of De Mistura’s visit, which is the first of its kind, is to “test the pulse and pave the way for dialogue in order to end the fabricated crisis.”
Al-Tayyar stressed, in a statement to the Hespress AR, that the UN official’s field visit to the Tindouf camps “led him to challenge the claims made by the Algerian military regime about its lack of involvement in the conflict.”

“During his visit, De Mistura noted that the situation is totally contrary to international law, making it impossible to discuss refugees when armed men display their military uniforms in front of the UN envoy”, the same analyst says.

Last October, the Algerian regime has instructed its Permanent Representative to the UN to inform the president of the Security Council and other members of the round table discussions on the Sahara conflict, that Algeria will not be participating in the discussions as it has no involvement in the conflict.