The UN envoy Staffan de Mistura recently invited Morocco, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front to talks expected in mid-2024, but the path to dialogue remains riddled with obstacles.
Sources told from within the UN told Hespress that UN envoy, during his regional visit, delivered invitations to Morocco and Mauritania for talks expected in June or September 2024.
Algeria and the Polisario Front weren’t included in this round but received separate invitations for future discussions – Algeria from the US Assistant Secretary of State and Polisario from the UN envoy himself (planned for New York).
“the UN envoy is required to take into account the perceptions of the concerned parties and their initial agreement to participate in direct negotiations, before presenting his briefing to the members of the UN Security Council in the closed session that was scheduled for the 16 of this month,’ sources told Hespress.
A key point of contention is who participates. Morocco insists on Algeria’s direct involvement, while the Polisario rejects preconditions. The US has attempted to bridge the gap by inviting Algeria and Polisario for separate discussions. The UN Security Council will receive updates on these efforts on April 16.
Expert Ibrahim Bilali Asouih worries that Algeria’s refusal to accept responsibility and the Polisario’s ceasefire violations hinder serious engagement and questioned in an interview with Hespress whether de Mistura can succeed where others haven’t.
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