The United Nations on Monday denied reports that Staffan de Mistura plans to resign from his post as personal envoy for the Western Sahara.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a statement that de Mistura “has no plans to resign.”
Dujarric said de Mistura ” is planning to maintain and intensify engagements with all concerned and broader international supporters in a variety of formats, including regional visits and bilateral opportunities.
He added that the special envoy “appreciates the support of the members of the Security Council, as well as the Group of Friends for Western Sahara, as recently evidenced in his meetings in New York.
De Mistura was appointed as the UN’s special envoy for the Western Sahara in May 2017. He has been tasked with mediating a solution to the decades-long conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
The UN Security Council has repeatedly called on Morocco and the Polisario Front, Mauritania and Algeria to resume negotiations. In December 2021, the Security Council extended de Mistura’s mandate for another year.
The latest reports of de Mistura’s resignation come amid a renewed push by Morocco to push for International recognition of its southern provinces.
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